ITASCA – The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has reaffirmed its 2018 policy supporting gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
In the past year, a growing number of states have passed laws banning gender-affirming care for those under the age of 18. Those states include Illinois’ neighbors Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, and Missouri. The state has already become a destination for families fleeing restrictive laws.
CNN reported that the decision was made on Thursday during a board of directors meeting at the AAP’s Itasca headquarters.
“The Board reaffirmed the 2018 policy guidance because it continues to reflect the best available evidence,” AAP CEO Mark Del Monte said in a statement.
The decision authorizes the policy authors to develop an expanded set of documents to support pediatricians.
The medical association will also produce two additional documents, a clinical report and a technical report, ensuring clinicians have the best possible evidence available to them as they implement AAP’s policy guidance.
“This process will be supplemented by an external systematic review, which is designed to organize the research in a way that will assist the AAP to broaden and deepen our guidance with additional detail and documentation.,” Del Monte said.
The number of states that have banned gender-affirming care for youths is why the AAP board reaffirmed the policy.
“In fact, we are seeing unprecedented government intrusion with this care being banned in over 20 states,” Del Monte said. “We therefore need to provide the best and most transparent process possible.”
Gender-affirming care has been well-established since 2007 and has been studied since the 1990s. The American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology have all said that gender-affirming care is safe and the standard of care.
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