Over the last couple of years, CTA has posted many pieces on the dangers posed by ideologically-captured services and institutions to young people with gender distress. We make no apologies for drawing our viewers’ attention to another piece recently posted in the South African publication, The Maverick. This post is important for two reasons: first it a particularly clear and accessible account of a complex problem; and second, it reminds us that this is not just a Western issue – it is a global concern.
The piece takes the form of a signed letter addressed to medical professionals in South Africa making the case that current evidence strongly undermines the current policies in South Africa which support gender-affirming care. Below are short verbatim extracts from the letter. Read the whole letter here.
“Over the past few years there has been a significant increase in the number of countries rejecting social transitioning, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone therapy as the de facto “standard of care” for children with gender distress.”
“Four major systematic reviews of the medical evidence supporting gender-affirming care have been conducted in Finland, Sweden and the UK. All of the reviews concluded that social transition and puberty blockers in children and adolescents could not be recommended as the benefits they sought to achieve were not realised and that clear harm could be demonstrated.”
“Rather, a holistic management approach, centred on watchful waiting is being proposed. This includes psychotherapy as well as the management of a wide range of common coexisting disorders such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, psychosis, eating disorders, suicidal ideation, self-harm and autistic spectrum disorders.”
“This contrasts with recent publications in South Africa, which include a guideline by the South African HIV Clinicians Society and the Professional Association for Transgender Health South Africa that advocate a gender-affirming approach in children and adolescents.“
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