Protecting Children's Health: Medical Experts Speak Out

A coalition of top medical groups and physicians has signed a "Doctors Protecting Children" declaration, expressing "serious concerns" about the treatment of minors who struggle with their biological sex. Jill Simons, the executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, shared these concerns with EWTN News, highlighting the group's efforts to raise awareness.

Highlights

By Catholic Online (California Network)
6/7/2024 (5 months ago)

Published in Health

Keywords: children, health, gender dysphoria, informed consent, Catholic perspective, medical ethics

Simons told "EWTN News Nightly" anchor Tracy Sabol that the American College of Pediatricians has been "sounding the alarm" following the leak of files from the World Professional Association of Transgender Health. These files reveal that transgender advocates themselves admit that children undergoing irreversible transgender procedures are too young to provide informed consent.

Adding to the concerns is the release of England's Cass Review, which found no comprehensive evidence supporting the routine prescription of transgender drugs to minors with gender dysphoria.

"These revelations overwhelmingly indicate that so-called gender-affirming care treatments should not continue," Simons said. "We expected our colleagues in the U.S. to take note and pause these treatments, but they haven't. So, we united as a coalition of medical doctors and organizations to say, 'Enough.'"

The "Doctors Protecting Children" declaration has been co-signed by 18 health policy and medical organizations, including the Catholic Medical Association (CMA), and close to 100 doctors and health leaders. The declaration asserts that sex is an "innate trait" that cannot be altered by drugs or surgery. It criticizes gender ideology for ignoring these innate differences and calls for medical decisions that "respect biological reality and the dignity of the person."

Mario Dickerson, CMA's executive director, emphasized the importance of protecting children. "Our primary goal is to protect children. Transgenderism affects 1% of the 72 million children in the U.S., which is 720,000 children. Our advocacy is focused on these children," he said.

Dickerson noted that 16% of U.S. hospitals are Catholic and urged them to sign the declaration. "If Catholic hospitals and health care systems were to sign this document, it would significantly impact health care across the United States," he said. "It would reassure their patients that they are committed to not harming children and making a public statement to that effect."

The declaration highlights that most adolescents experiencing gender confusion will resolve their mental incongruencies naturally through puberty. It points out that responsible informed consent is impossible due to limited long-term follow-up studies and the immature, often impulsive nature of the adolescent brain, which struggles with making emotionally laden decisions with lifelong consequences.

The physicians also underscored the serious long-term risks associated with social transition, puberty blockers, masculinizing or feminizing hormones, and surgeries, including potential sterility. "Evidence-based medical research now shows little to no benefit from ďż˝~gender-affirming' interventions for adolescents with gender dysphoria," the declaration states. It advocates for psychotherapy as the first line of treatment for underlying mental health issues like depression, anxiety, autism, and prior emotional trauma.

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Simons expressed optimism about the declaration's impact. "I have faith in my colleagues, pediatricians, and physicians nationwide, that we will do the right thing," she said. "This declaration aims to get the message out loud and clear. I remain very optimistic that this situation will improve."