Breaking away from the position held by many medical associations, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), which represents 92% of all certified American plastic surgeons, has expressed disagreement with the provision of “gender-affirming care” for minors. ASPS revealed in a correspondence with Leor Sapir of the Manhattan Institute in July that it has not endorsed any group’s practice guidelines for treating adolescents grappling with gender dysphoria. They also emphasized that there is significant uncertainty around the long-term effectiveness of using chest and genital surgical interventions.
The ASPS joins Doctors Protecting Children, a non-profit organization which, in a declaration on July 6, voiced its sharp concern over “gender-affirming care.” Asserting that the American medical associations should realign their stance with the scientific evidence and their European counterparts, the group called for the immediate suspension of promotion of social affirmation, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for young individuals distressed by their biological sex.
While endorsing comprehensive evaluations and therapies to understand and address underlying psychological co-morbidities and neurodiversity associated with gender dysphoria, Doctors Protecting Children urged physicians within these professional bodies to push their leadership towards implementing evidence-based research. Sapir, echoing their sentiments, pointed out the necessity for a scientific assessment of the evidence.
Offering her perspective on this critical issue, Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Sheila Nazarian shared, “As physicians, our primary responsibility is the health and well-being of our patients. Assessing medical readiness rests on our shoulders. Thus, it’s imperative we thoroughly analyze all available data and studies. Ignoring the reasons individuals opt for surgery doesn’t solve the problem.”