In January 2024 we posted an article by First Do No Harm Southern Africa (FDNHSA) on the current state of evidence-based medicine and treatment of children and adolescents who experience gender distress (one of the reasons for posting was to remind us all that these issues are a global concern). This article appeared in the online South African newspaper, The Daily Maverick, and caught the attention of the Professional Association for Transgender Health South Africa (Pathsa) and the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society, who wrote a response to FDNHSA.
As our readers know, transgender healthcare and treatment of gender distressed children is a contentious area due to the complexities of its presentations, the loud presence of transgender activists, and the politicisation of this area of healthcare. These difficulties should nevertheless not discourage those who work in the field and those of us who are concerned citizens, from examining the evidence, engage in the arguments from both sides of the matter, and ask incisive questions that are pertinent to the issues. We therefore want to draw our readers’ attention to the following published answer from FDNHSA to the Pathsa and SAHCS article.
The FDNHSA makes the following hopeful statement about the published interchange: “Part of a constructive and respectful dialogue is to seek common ground on which two parties agree. It would seem that there is agreement, in principle at least, that we should continue dialogue around this issue.”
Below are some quotes highlighting the main points of contention and the full response can be read here.
“Many children who present with gender dysphoria at a young age end up being same-sex attracted adults without gender dysphoria. This has led to concern about the ‘conveyor belt’ effect of ‘gender-affirming care’ interventions as possibly being a new type of homosexual conversion therapy – that seeks to make those who are same-sex attracted heterosexual through gender transition.”
“It is simply not true to state, as Pathsa has done, that ‘only a small minority of trans youth will retransition to a cisgender identity.’ There are no long-term, rigorous studies that have adequately tracked children and adolescents who have received ‘gender-affirming’ care and gathered reliable data over the long term. The true detransition rate is unknown.”
“We all need to be respectful of people who have different opinions and perspectives and avoid ad hominem attacks and cancel culture punitive responses. We would strongly advocate against cherry picking of studies to support ideological positions, but rather to follow the best available and highest-quality evidence.”
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