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Two American medical organizations, the Endocrine Society And the American Academy Of Pediatrics have issued statements rejecting the Cass review as politically motivated and without scientific basis.
The Cass Report commissioned by the United Kingdom's conservative government has resulted in a countrywide ban on gender-affirming care for people enrolled in the National Healthcare System. This report is in stark contrast to every major American medical association which over decades has found that gender-affirming care, for youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria, is in fact life-saving.
STATEMENT FROM THE ENDOCRINE SOCIETY: "Medical evidence, not politics, should inform treatment decisions."
"We stand firm in our support of gender-affirming care. Transgender and gender-diverse people deserve access to needed and often life-saving medical care. NHS England’s recent report, the Cass Review, does not contain any new research that would contradict the recommendations made in our Clinical Practice Guideline on gender-affirming care."
Similar sentiments were shared by Dr. Ben Hoffman, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who responded to the Cass Review,
“What we’re seeing more and more is that the politically infused public discourse is getting this wrong and it’s impacting the way that doctors care for their patients. Physicians must be able to practice medicine that is informed by their medical education, training, experience, and the available evidence, freely and without the threat of punishment. Instead, state legislatures have passed bills to ban and restrict gender-affirming care, which means that right now, for far too many families, their zip code determines their ability to seek the health care they need. Politicians have inserted themselves into the exam room, and this is dangerous for both physicians and for families.”Every major medical association and leading world health authority supports health care for transgender people and youth. They are also increasingly speaking out against the disinformation being spread by opponents of this care.
The following have issued statements in support of health care for transgender people and youth:
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Dermatology
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Association of Clinical Endocrinology
American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry
American College Health Association
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Physicians
American Counseling Association
American Medical Student Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
American Urological Association
Federation of Pediatric Organizations
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality
The Journal of the American Medical Association
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
National Association of Social Workers
Pediatrics (Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics ) and Seattle Children’s Hospital
United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Professional Association for Transgender Health
The Trans affirming care offered by these medical associations has helped nearly 100,000 transgender US citizens become all that we can be. Given the current political situation that is nothing less than a miracle.
The 2022 USTS (United States Transgender Survey) is the largest survey ever conducted to examine the experiences of binary and nonbinary transgender people in the United States, with an unprecedented 92,329 respondents. The survey was programmed and hosted by Qualtrics, and data collection was managed by Qualtrics throughout the 48-day fielding period.
Nearly all respondents (98%) who were currently receiving hormone treatment reported that receiving hormones for their gender identity/transition made them either “a lot more satisfied” (84%) or “a little more satisfied” (14%) with their life.
One percent (1%) reported that hormones made them “neither more nor less satisfied” with their life, and less than 1% said that they were “a little less satisfied” or “a lot less satisfied” with their lives after receiving hormones.
Dr Cass told PBS in an interview that two metrics, employment, and 'getting out of the house' should used to determine the effectiveness of trans-affirming medical care. However to use those metrics a baseline a society free from transphobia and discrimination would need to be established. This statement by her serves to highlight how politized and removed from reality the Cass review actually is.