The Cass Review, published recently, revealed important findings regarding the care given to gender-questioning children by the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. The report, commissioned in 2020, exposed safeguarding risks associated with gender transition for kids and criticized gender clinicians for their failure to follow best practices or collect outcome data. The widely accepted belief that a child’s stated gender identity should not be questioned, only affirmed, was challenged as the evidence base supporting this approach was found to be weak.
The report also highlighted the obstructive behavior of British gender services in withholding data during the research period, indicating a deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny of evidence. Despite the socialized healthcare system in the UK demanding a stringent evidence base before funding treatments, gender medics actively avoided examining the evidence, indicating a systemic issue within the healthcare system. This behavior is indicative of a pattern where clinicians resist transparency and scrutiny, revealing a lack of evidence to support their treatment approaches.
Studies have shown that the claim that gender-confused children will kill themselves if not affirmed in their preferred identity is not supported by evidence. Parental consent to irreversible medical interventions based on this claim is unjustified. The Cass Review supported this finding, suggesting that the increased suicide risk among gender-questioning kids is often due to pre-existing mental health issues rather than the invalidation of their identity. The report emphasized the need for a holistic approach to treating children with mental health issues, rather than focusing solely on gender identity.
The Cass Review also warned against the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones in minors due to the fluid nature of children’s identities. Clinicians admitted that many children outgrow gender confusion, making it difficult to determine who will persist in their gender identity. The report criticized the self-serving nature of some gender clinicians and the lack of developmental rigor in treatment guidelines set by organizations such as the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. These guidelines have been found to lack solid evidence and rely on emotional appeals rather than rigorous research.
The report raised concerns about the entrenched affirmation-only approach in some US states, which has led to children being removed from their parents’ care for disagreeing with medical decisions regarding gender identity. The Cass Review highlighted the safeguarding risks associated with pediatric gender treatment, warning against practices that fail to help children and may even create new dangers. The report pointed to cases where vulnerable children disappeared after gender changes, emphasizing the need to protect gender-confused minors from potentially predatory adults and medical malpractice.
In conclusion, the Cass Review calls for a more evidence-based and holistic approach to treating gender-questioning children. It warns against the medicalization of minors without solid evidence and emphasizes the need to protect vulnerable children from harmful practices. The report challenges the prevailing narrative of unquestioned affirmation of a child’s gender identity and advocates for a more cautious and thoughtful approach to gender-related treatments in minors. The findings of the review have significant implications for healthcare practices in the UK and potentially in North America, where similar issues are prevalent.
