“We are making strong recommendations based on weak evidence,” a statement from practicing pediatrician, Dr. Julia Mason, about the basis of gender affirming care, which is the model of care currently backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
In this episode, Dr. Mason sits down with Sasha & Stella to discuss her relentless efforts towards charging the AAP to pursue a systematic review of the evidence behind gender affirming care. They discuss the series of events leading up to the AAP’s most recent article reaffirming their commitment to the affirmation model as laid out in the AAP’s policy statement published in 2018, but also announcing their authorization of a systematic review of the evidence. This decision on the part of the AAP comes long overdue in the wake of so many European organizations who have recently conducted their own reviews, all of which have resulted in abrupt shifts in the care protocols around gender transition.
Links:
NY Times article about the AAP's recent moves:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/03/health/aap-gender-affirming-care-evidence-review.html
SEGM’s Spotlight
Rafferty’s 2018 AAP Statement
Cantor Fact Checks the Rafferty Paper
http://www.jamescantor.org/uploads/6/2/9/3/62939641/cantor_fact-check_of_aap.pdf
Wall Street Journal Article
The Cass Review | Interim Report - Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People
https://cass.independent-review.uk/publications/interim-report/
Genspect’s Open Letter to the AAP
https://genspect.org/an-open-letter-to-the-american-academy-of-pediatrics/
Leor Sapir’s Article
AAP Reaffirms But Authorizes Systematic Review
Opinion Supporting Gender Dysphoric Youth
https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/aap-voices/supporting-our-transgender-and-gender-diverse-youth/
2015 Transgender Survey
https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTS-Full-Report-Dec17.pdf
"What Is a Woman?" with Dr. Michelle Forcier that Julia references in the interview
Pre-Order When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents
https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/
Attend Our Live Event – When Kids Say They’re Trans: Weekend of Workshops | September 21-24, 2023
https://whenkidssaytheyretrans.com/weekend-of-workshops
If you liked this episode, more episodes you might find interesting:
The Dutch Studies Playlist
We have done a number episodes about the "Dutch Protocol" which precipitated the surge in youth gender transition. There are many things about the Dutch research that have been misinterpreted and misapplied in various medical settings. Here are all the episodes we've done so far where we dig deeper into the studies that started it all.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLngVCeAoK6vudCwfy0R2Rvg_SH2QxBJTu
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128 - As Weird as a Chicken Crying: AAP Statement on Pediatric Gender Transition with Dr. Julia Mason