A leading pediatrician in the United Kingdom recently claimed that medical professionals in the United States are “out of date” regarding hormonal and surgical interventions for trans-identified minors. Last month, Dr. Hilary Cass published a landmark study titled the “Cass Report,” which caused the National Health Service to order its gender clinics to issue a pause on first appointments for those under 18, The Christian Post reports.
Cass, who has worked as a pediatrician in England for over 30 years, was tasked with reviewing the country’s process for treating young people suffering from gender dysphoria. For the study, she interviewed minor patients, transgender-identifying adults, de-transitioners, advocacy groups, and clinicians; she also reviewed international healthcare guidance.
Despite the lack of long-term studies on the use of puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones, there has been a significant increase in minors in the U.K. seeking treatment for their gender dysphoria throughout the past decade.
In conclusion, Cass concluded that there is “remarkably weak” evidence supporting puberty blockers for adolescents and warned that such hormones should be prescribed with “extreme caution.”
However, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Endocrine Society seemed to downplay Cass’ findings in the study.
“According to The New York Times, politicians have inserted themselves into the exam room, which is dangerous for both physicians and for families,” Dr. Ben Hoffman, the president of AAP, said.
The Endocrine Society told the outlet that the “Cass Report” “does not contain any new research“ contradicting its guidelines.
Despite speaking highly of the AAP, Cass, who served as president of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health, told the Times she “respectfully [disagrees] with them on holding on to a position that is now demonstrated to be out of date by multiple systematic reviews.”
“It wouldn’t be too much of a problem if people were saying, ‘This is clinical consensus, and we’re not sure,‘” she said. “But what some organizations are doing is doubling down on saying the evidence is good. And I think that’s where you’re misleading the public. You need to be honest about the strength of the evidence and say what you’re going to do to improve it.”
She also presumed that the AAP is a “fairly left-leaning organization,” hence why they won’t speak out against gender procedures for children due to fear of backlash. Cass cautioned against a “politically driven“ medical system and recommended a more holistic approach to treating minors with gender dysphoria. She noted that the U.S. medical system has failed such patients due to being overwhelmed by the issue.
“We’re failing these kids, and we’re failing other kids in terms of the amount of mental health support we have available,“ she said. “That is a huge problem — not just for gender-questioning young people. And I think that’s partly a reflection of the fact that the system’s been caught out by a growth of demand that is completely outstripping the ability to provide it.”
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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
