Health
‘Gender-affirming’ treatments don’t benefit youth, says pediatricians group: ‘Irreversible consequences’
A national organization of pediatricians and other health care professionals claims that “gender-affirming” therapies have not been shown to benefit adolescents with gender dysphoria.
The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds), based in Florida, released a position statement on Feb. 7 stating that “social transition, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones have no demonstrable, long-term benefit on the psychosocial well-being of adolescents with gender dysphoria.”
“A review of at least 60 research papers demonstrates no benefit to social affirmation, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or surgical interventions for these youth,” lead author and vice president of ACPeds, Dr. Jane Anderson, wrote in an email to Fox News Digital.
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All 60 of the reviewed studies focused on the mental health of adolescents struggling with gender dysphoria.
The position statement was voted on and passed by the ACPeds board and members, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
A national organization of pediatricians and other health care professionals claims that “gender-affirming” therapies have not been shown to benefit adolescents with gender dysphoria. (iStock)
In a fact sheet summarizing the findings, ACPeds noted that “youth whose perceived gender identity does not align with their biological sex have high rates of mental health problems regardless of any affirmation of their gender identities.”
Adolescents who identify as “gender-incongruent” often have existing mental health illnesses, including depression and anxiety, according to Anderson.
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ACPeds also stated that over half of LGBTQ+ sexual minority individuals experience “adverse childhood experiences,” including child abuse.
Transgender youth reported the highest levels of abuse and neglect, the data showed.
The researchers said their review “casts doubt on claims that social affirmation (like using desired pronouns) of transgender-identified youth helps their long-term psychosocial well-being.”
The researchers found that the use of puberty-blocking drugs — medications that delay puberty in children — did not have significant benefits for young people experiencing gender dysphoria. (iStock)
“Adolescents have immature brains and should not be allowed to make decisions with lifelong implications, such as decreased fertility, when they are so young,” Anderson told Fox News Digital.
In terms of specific therapies, the researchers found that the use of puberty-blocking drugs — medications that delay puberty in children — did not have significant benefits for youths experiencing gender dysphoria.
“Adolescents have immature brains and should not be allowed to make decisions with lifelong implications, such as decreased fertility, when they are so young.”
“A study [that] purported to show a ‘lifetime suicidal ideation’ reduction in those who received puberty blockers actually found twice as many serious suicidal attempts in participants who received the blockers than in those who just wished they had received them,” the study’s fact sheet noted.
Cross-sex hormonal interventions — treatments that trigger a transition to a desired gender — were also shown to have “little mental health benefit” and were even linked to a higher need for psychiatric care, ACPeds stated.
The data shows that a large percentage of gender-dysphoric adolescents will ultimately identify with their birth sex — which means in those cases the treatments are proven unnecessary, a doctor said. (iStock)
The review also discovered that many teens who pursue gender-affirming therapy — whether surgical or hormonal — ultimately revert to their biological gender.
“There are individuals who now express regret regarding their transition,” Anderson told Fox News Digital.
Doctors react to the report
Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert, was not involved in the analysis but shared his input on the topic, which he said is “often fueled by political bias and religious undertones.”
“I agree with the position statement of the ACPeds,” he told Fox News Digital. “Namely, a holistic approach with intense psychiatric interventions should be adopted prior to any gender-altering therapeutic.”
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The data shows that a large percentage of gender-dysphoric adolescents will ultimately identify with their birth sex, which means in those cases the treatments are proven unnecessary, the doctor noted.
“Medical professionals should strive to address gender dysphoria primarily through a holistic psychological approach — involving both the patient and family — before more invasive pharmaceutical or surgical measures,” Osborn told Fox News Digital.
Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and longevity expert, said he agrees with the position statement issued by the ACPeds. (Dr. Brett Osborn)
While taking hormone-altering therapies or transitioning to the opposite sex has become “all the rage,” he said, the data suggests there is no long-term mental health benefit.
“In addition, those opting for hormone-altering therapies are potentially interfering with not only sexual development, but also brain development,” Osborn warned. “Testosterone and estrogen, the hormones primarily manipulated with such therapies, are integral to memory formation and mood.”
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The doctor also noted the dangers associated with “gender-affirming” surgeries.
“Adolescents, prior to undergoing intense psychiatric therapy, are opting for sex-change operations in an almost whimsical manner,” he said. “But this is short-sighted, and the decision is often tainted by ongoing psychological issues.”
He added, “Such surgeries permanently alter one’s physical appearance, carrying with them irreversible consequences, such as infertility and sexual dysfunction.”
“Adolescents, prior to undergoing intense psychiatric therapy, are opting for sex-change operations in an almost whimsical manner,” a doctor said. (Cyberguy.com)
Adolescents haven’t lived long enough to make such high-level decisions, according to Osborn.
“They’re confused,” he said. “An alternative must be sought.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was also not involved in the ACPeds study, but commented on the findings of what he described as a “conservative advocacy group.”
“Hormone-altering therapies are potentially interfering with not only sexual development, but also brain development.”
“I am in favor of a more conservative approach as well in minors,” he told Fox News Digital.
“Long-term effects of puberty blockers may include bone loss, trouble concentrating, interference with learning and interference with fertility.”
Siegel added, “I think it makes sense in most cases to treat underlying mental health concerns before jumping into treatments, including surgery, that may be difficult to reverse.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, warned of the long-term effects of puberty blockers. (Fox News)
The doctor also emphasized that gender issues should not be overly politicized.
“This means not superimposing an ideology or pushing physicians to act in a certain way or under pressure,” Siegel said.
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“The welfare of the child must come first. In this case, it means going very slowly and providing support to a child or teen with gender dysphoria.”
Siegel also pointed out that many U.K. and European countries, from Sweden to France, have restricted gender-affirming care for adolescents in favor of mental health support.
Organizations in favor of gender-affirming procedures
The American Medical Association (AMA) states on its website that “improving access to gender-affirming care is an important means of improving health outcomes for the transgender population.”
“Receipt of gender-affirming care has been linked to dramatically reduced rates of suicide attempts, decreased rates of depression and anxiety, decreased substance use, improved HIV medication adherence and reduced rates of harmful self-prescribed hormone use,” the organization claimed.
Many U.K. and European countries, from Sweden to France, have restricted gender-affirming care for adolescents in favor of mental health support. (iStock)
The AMA also said it supports public and private health insurance coverage for the treatment of gender dysphoria.
The Office of Population Affairs (OASH), part of the Department of Health and Human Services, released a similar statement in support of gender-affirming care, calling it a “supportive form of health care that may include medical, surgical, mental health and non-medical services for transgender and nonbinary people.”
“The welfare of the child must come first.”
“Research demonstrates that gender-affirming care improves the mental health and overall well-being of gender-diverse children and adolescents,” the statement continued.
OASH claimed that gender-affirming care allows “transgender and nonbinary children and adolescents” to focus on social transitions and can increase their confidence in navigating the health care system.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also has expressed support of gender-affirming care, stating on its website that it recommends “providing youth with access to comprehensive gender-affirming and developmentally appropriate health care.”
The AAP also calls for electronic health records, notifications and research files to be updated to reflect the patient’s desired gender identity.
Fox News Digital reached out to the AMA, OASH and the American Academy of Pediatrics requesting comment on the ACPeds study.
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Those at risk of type 2 diabetes may be able to prevent heart problems later.
A new study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology discovered that lowering the blood sugar of those with prediabetes could reduce the risk of heart attack by half.
Diabetes researchers and endocrine experts across Europe, China and the U.S. investigated how bringing blood sugar back to normal levels affected the chances of heart problems later in life, based on a 20-year American study and a 30-year Chinese study, according to a press release.
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In both studies, the prediabetic participants were coached to make appropriate lifestyle changes to lower blood sugar (the amount of glucose in the bloodstream) through diet and exercise, also targeting weight loss.
Participants worked to lower blood sugar through diet and exercise targeted at weight loss. (iStock)
The researchers split the participants into a remission group (where blood sugar returned to normal) and a non-remission group, which included those still in the prediabetes range. They then determined who in these groups had died from heart disease or were hospitalized for heart failure.
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Participants who went into remission had a 58% lower risk of dying from heart disease and being hospitalized for heart failure. This group also had a lower risk of other major heart events and lower overall death rates.
These heart-protective benefits lasted for decades after the program ended, the researchers found.
Those in prediabetes remission had their risk of a heart event reduced by more than half. (iStock)
“Reaching prediabetes remission is linked to a decades-long benefit, halving the risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure in diverse populations,” the researchers commented in the publication of the study. “Targeting remission might represent a new approach to cardiovascular prevention.”
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In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Andreas Birkenfeld, study co-author and professor of medicine at the University Hospital Tübingen in Germany, reiterated that reaching prediabetes remission is not only relevant for reducing the progression of type 2 diabetes, but may also be associated with a “meaningful reduction in… heart attack risk, cardiac death and heart failure.”
“Importantly, this underscores that prediabetes is a modifiable stage where timely, evidence-based interventions (especially lifestyle measures, and in selected cases, medication) can make a real difference,” he added.
“Reaching prediabetes remission is linked to a decades-long benefit, halving the risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure in diverse populations,” the researchers commented. (iStock)
The study did have some limitations, including that it is based on analysis of trials not originally designed to measure cardiovascular outcomes, which means the results show association but cannot prove causation.
In addition, unmeasured lifestyle and health factors, population differences and lack of randomization for heart outcomes may have influenced the reduced cardiovascular risk, the researchers acknowledged.
“This underscores that prediabetes is a modifiable stage where timely, evidence-based interventions … can make a real difference.”
Birkenfeld suggested that those with prediabetes should ask their doctors the following questions: “What is my current status? What is my personal cardiovascular risk? What is my target blood glucose level?”
Patients should also inquire about the frequency of testing for blood sugar and key risk factors like blood pressure, cholesterol and other related conditions, such as kidney function or sleep apnea, he advised.
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“If lifestyle changes aren’t enough or my risk is high, would medication be appropriate for me — and what are the benefits and downsides?” the researcher asked as an example.
About 98 million American adults, more than one in three, have prediabetes, according to CDC data. Eight in 10 of these adults are unaware that they have the disease.
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One of the most widely known risks linked to the COVID-19 vaccine is myocarditis, especially in young males — and now a new Stanford study has shed some light on why this rare effect can occur.
Myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart, occurs in about one in 140,000 people who receive the first dose of the vaccine and one in 32,000 after the second dose, according to a Stanford press release. Among males 30 and younger, that rises to one in 16,750.
Symptoms of the condition include chest pain, shortness of breath, fever and palpitations, which can occur just one to three days after vaccination. Another marker is heightened levels of cardiac troponin, which indicates that the heart muscle has been damaged.
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In most cases, people who experience myocarditis recover quickly and restore full heart function, according to study author Joseph Wu, MD, PhD, the director of the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute and a professor of medicine and radiology.
One of the most widely known risks linked to the COVID-19 vaccine is myocarditis, especially in young males. (iStock)
“It’s not a heart attack in the traditional sense,” Wu told Fox News Digital. “There’s no blockage of blood vessels as found in most common heart attacks. When symptoms are mild and the inflammation hasn’t caused structural damage to the heart, we just observe these patients to make sure they recover.”
In rare cases, however, severe heart inflammation can lead to hospitalizations, critical illness or death, Wu noted.
Finding the cause
The new Stanford study — conducted in collaboration with The Ohio State University — aimed to determine the reasons for the myocarditis. The research team analyzed blood samples from vaccinated people, some with myocarditis and some without.
They found that those with myocarditis had two proteins in their blood, CXCL10 and IFN-gamma, which are released by immune cells. Those proteins then activate more inflammation.
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“We think these two are the major drivers of myocarditis,” said Wu. “Your body needs these cytokines to ward off viruses. It’s essential to immune response, but can become toxic in large amounts.”
In mouse and heart tissue models, high levels of these proteins led to signs of heart irritation, similar to mild myocarditis.
Prevention mechanism
“One of the most striking findings was how much we could reduce heart damage in our models by specifically blocking these two cytokines, without shutting down the entire (desired) immune response to the vaccine,” Wu told Fox News Digital, noting that a targeted, “fine‑tuning” immune approach might be enough to protect the heart.
Myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart, occurs in about one in 140,000 people who receive the first dose of the vaccine and one in 32,000 after the second dose. (iStock)
“This points to a possible future way to prevent or treat myocarditis in people who are at the highest risk, while keeping the benefits of vaccination,” he added.
The team also found that genistein, an estrogen-like natural compound found in soybeans, reduced inflammation in lab tests, but this has not yet been tested in humans.
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The findings were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
“This is a very complex study,” Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel told Fox News Digital. “Myocarditis is very rare, and the immune mechanism makes sense.”
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“Myocarditis is worse with COVID — much more common, and generally much more severe.”
Wu agreed, adding that COVID infection is about 10 times more likely to cause myocarditis compared to mRNA-based vaccines.
‘Crucial tool’
The researchers emphasized that COVID-19 vaccines have been “heavily scrutinized” for safety and have been shown to have an “excellent safety record.”
In rare cases, however, severe heart inflammation can lead to hospitalizations, critical illness or death. (iStock)
“mRNA vaccines remain a crucial tool against COVID‑19, and this research helps explain a rare side effect and suggests ways to make future vaccines even safer, rather than a reason to avoid vaccination,” Wu said.
“The overall benefits of COVID‑19 vaccination still clearly outweigh the small risk of myocarditis for nearly all groups.”
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The study did have some limitations, primarily the fact that most of the data came from experimental systems (mice and human cells in the lab), which cannot fully capture how myocarditis develops and resolves in real patients, according to Wu.
“This points to a possible future way to prevent or treat myocarditis in people who are at the highest risk.”
“These findings do not change what people should do right now, because our work is still at the preclinical (mouse and human cells) stage,” he said. “Clinical studies will be needed to confirm whether targeted treatments are safe and effective.”
The researcher also added that myocarditis risk could rise with other types of vaccines.
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“Other vaccines can cause myocarditis and inflammatory problems, but the symptoms tend to be more diffuse,” he said in the release. “Plus, mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines’ risks have received intense public scrutiny and media coverage. If you get chest pains from a COVID vaccine, you go to the hospital to get checked out, and if the serum troponin is positive, then you get diagnosed with myocarditis. If you get achy muscles or joints from a flu vaccine, you just blow it off.”
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Gootter-Jensen Foundation.
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