The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion A new report roils the debate on youth gender care

By
April 18, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EDT
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5 min

Paul Garcia-Ryan is the board president of Therapy First.

A comprehensive review commissioned by England’s National Health Service, released last week, found that gender transition medical treatment for children and young people has been built on “shaky foundations,” with “remarkably weak” evidence. The independent study — led by physician Hilary Cass, the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health — incorporates multiple systematic reviews “to provide the best available collation of published evidence,” as well as interviews with clinicians, parents and young people, in reaching its conclusions.