The strongly pro-family American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) has drafted and released the Doctors Protecting Children Declaration, calling all clinical professionals to cease harming their patients under the problematic medical protocols of gender ideology. They state,
As physicians, together with nurses, psychotherapists and behavioral health clinicians, other health professionals, scientists, researchers, and public health and policy professionals, we have serious concerns about the physical and mental health effects of the current protocols promoted for the care of children and adolescents in the United States who express discomfort with their biological sex.
The declaration makes several research-based declarations that challenge fundamental tenets of gender ideology and so-called gender affirming care.
The first affirmation goes to the fundamental nature of what it means to be human.
Sex is a dimorphic, innate trait defined in relation to an organism’s biological role in reproduction. In humans, primary sex determination occurs at fertilization and is directed by a complement of sex determining genes on the X and Y chromosomes. This genetic signature is present in every nucleated somatic cell in the body and is not altered by drugs or surgical interventions.
ACPeds explains that “[the] consideration of these innate differences is critical to the practice of good medicine and to the development of sound public policy for children and adults alike.”
Thus, the declaration properly contends that “medical decision making should not be based upon an individual’s thoughts and feelings, as in ‘gender identity’ or ‘gender expression,’ but rather … upon an individual’s biological sex.” This is because “gender identity” is not a scientific category. It doesn’t exist in any objective sense.
They add, “Medical decision making should respect biological reality and the dignity of the person by compassionately addressing the whole person.”
This declaration comes just weeks after the United Kingdon released The Cass Review, conducted by Dr. Hilary Cass, former president of the U.K.’s Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, commissioned by NHS England. The review is deeply critical of the medical protocols being employed for gender confused youth in Great Britian.
The British Medical Journal (BMJ), one of the most prestigious and respected medical journals in the world, stated in their review of Cass’ final review that “her conclusion is alarming for anybody who genuinely cares for child welfare: gender medicine is built on shaky foundations.” They add, “The evidence base for interventions in gender medicine is threadbare” and this is true for “whichever research question you wish to consider – from social transition to hormone treatment.”
This means that ACPed’s new declaration is on strong empirical footing in calling on their professional peers to resist ideological pressure to participate in damaging medical and psychological efforts that keep confused and social media-manipulated youth from embracing their natural sex.
The ACPeds Declaration calls on “the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to adhere to evidence-based research and utilize comprehensive evaluations and therapies for youth with gender dysphoria.”
Dr. Jill Simons, pediatrician and Executive Director of ACPeds urged:
It is time that these American medical institutions follow the science and the lead of our European professional colleagues and cease to promote protocols that harm children, including the promotion of social affirmation, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for children and adolescents who experience distress over their biological sex.
The Declaration and the list of co-signers may be found here.
ACPeds also launched www.biologicalintegrity.org late last year, a trustworthy medical resource on gender dysphoria for parents, physicians, schools, and policymakers.
Related articles and resources:
The Embarrassing Crack-Up of the LGBT Project
How the Binary in ‘LGBTQ+’ Reveals Its Utter Incoherence
How the “Trans” and Gender Redefinition Issue Attacks the Family
Transgenderism and Minors: What Does the Research Really Show?
How to Respond to “Trans” and Gender Ideology? Simple: Live Not by Lies
Why Christians Can’t Avoid the “Trans” and Gender Redefinition Issue
What Does it Mean to Be Trans Anyway?
A Singularly Christian View of the Transgender Problem
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