NE Washington News

In a recent communication to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General Christi Grimm, Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have called for an investigation into the evidence supporting gender transition procedures for children. The letter raises questions about the quality and type of scientific literature used by HHS in its recommendations.

The letter states, “As the agency responsible for safeguarding the health and well-being of Americans, all of HHS’s medical treatment recommendations, especially medical treatment recommendations for children, should be based on rigorous and well-established research, such as randomized controlled trials, that have definitively illustrated the long-term benefits of gender affirming care treatments.”

Under President Biden's administration, HHS has supported sex reassignment procedures for minors, including serum puberty blockers. These blockers have been traditionally used to treat early onset puberty but are noted to affect normal childhood development when used otherwise. HHS officials assert that these procedures are widely accepted in the medical community.

HHS Secretary Becerra testified that support comes from "every major medical association," along with "medical journals" and "scientific and medical evidence." However, when asked to provide detailed evidence through a Freedom of Information Act request, only a publicly available two-page brochure was produced.

There is contrasting international opinion on this issue. Some global medical experts advise against performing such procedures on minors. Certain courts and health agencies aim to restrict these interventions. Other countries have banned them entirely for minors.

A British Journal of Medicine article highlights uncertainty regarding puberty blockers' effects on young people. A UK court remarked on the improbability that children under 13 could consent to such treatments due to their complexity.

In April 2024, England's National Health Service commissioned Cass Review reported inadequate evidence in existing studies for making clinical decisions or informed choices regarding gender identity services for children. It found unclear rationale for early puberty suppression and uncertain impacts on various aspects of health.

By August 2024, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons became the first major U.S. association to express caution regarding gender surgery in adolescents with gender dysphoria. Their statement mentioned "considerable uncertainty" about surgical interventions' long-term efficacy due to low-quality evidence.

The letter was signed by several committee members including Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Gary Palmer (R-AL), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Randy Weber (R-TX), Troy Balderson (R-OH), August Pfluger (R-TX), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), and Kat Cammack (R-FL).