Biden admin. declares support for trans surgeries, puberty blockers for kids, adolescents

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor | Thursday, March 31, 2022

The Biden administration has declared its support for allowing children and adolescents with gender dysphoria to undergo gender reassignment surgeries or use puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones despite unknowns in long-term side effects of such actions.

In multiple documents released on Thursday, which is observed by some as the Transgender Day of Visibility, the Biden administration backed “gender-affirming health care" for children.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs released a document titled “Gender Affirming Care and Young People."

The document states that “early gender-affirming care” for non-binary or trans-identified minors “is crucial to overall health and well-being as it allows the child or adolescent to focus on social transitions and can increase their confidence while navigating the healthcare system.”

The document lists “top” surgeries —  mastectomy and breasts enhancements — as well as “bottom” surgeries — removal of genitals — as “gender-affirming care.”

The document states that the surgeries are “[t]ypically used in adulthood or case by-case in adolescence.”

“Gender-affirming care is a supportive form of healthcare. It consists of an array of services that may include medical, surgical, mental health, and non-medical services for transgender and nonbinary people,” stated OPA.

“Medical and psychosocial gender affirming healthcare practices have been demonstrated to yield lower rates of adverse mental health outcomes, build self-esteem, and improve overall quality of life for transgender and gender diverse youth.”

HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Child Traumatic Stress Network released a document titled “Gender-Affirming Care Is Trauma-Informed Care.”

The network’s document defined gender-affirming care as possibly including “evidence-based interventions such as puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones” and proclaimed that “gender-affirming care is neither child maltreatment nor malpractice.”

The statement comes as officials in Texas have defined administering puberty-blocking drugs on children who question their gender as “child abuse” and experimental since the Food and Drug Administration has not approved such drugs for that use. 

“There is no scientifically sound research showing negative impacts from providing gender-affirming care,” the network’s statement adds. “[Transgender, gender diverse, and intersex] youth can thrive when they are supported and affirmed in their identities and their identity development.”

An entry on Mayo Clinic's website states that drugs aimed at blocking puberty “might” help reduce depression among youth.

“However, puberty suppression alone might not ease gender dysphoria,” said the clinic, also expressing caution that taking puberty blockers “is a big step.”

Using medication to delay puberty “beyond one’s peers can be stressful,” and thus, a child “might experience lower self-esteem,” according to the Mayo Clinic. 

The conservative American College of Pediatricians, an association of physicians and healthcare professionals “dedicated to the health and well-being of children,” has long voiced its opposition to using puberty-blocking drugs on children with gender dysphoria.

“There is not a single long-term study to demonstrate the safety or efficacy of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for transgender-believing youth,” the organization argues in a statement.

“This means that youth transition is experimental, and therefore, parents cannot provide informed consent, nor can minors provide assent for these interventions. Moreover, the best long-term evidence we have among adults shows that medical intervention fails to reduce suicide.”

“Temporary use of puberty blocker Lupron has also been associated with and may be the cause of many serious permanent side effects including osteoporosis, mood disorders, seizures, cognitive impairment and, when combined with cross-sex hormones, sterility,” the American College of Pediatricians added. “In addition to the harm from Lupron, cross-sex hormones put youth at an increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, blood clots and cancers across their lifespan.” 

The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued medical guidelines that support the surgical and hormonal transition of trans-identified children and adolescents.