Two medical associations update their recommendations on gender-affirming care for trans youth

"The American Medical Association, which has long supported gender-affirming care for transgender youth, has now endorsed some restrictions. The AMA recommended Wednesday that any gender-affirming surgeries be delayed until adulthood, The New York Times reports. While genital surgery is almost never performed on minors, some teens undergo top surgery or facial modifications. Gender-affirming care for youth more commonly includes puberty blockers, hormone therapy, social transition, and counseling."

"The AMA's policy shift comes a day after the American Society of Plastic Surgeons recommended that surgeons delay breast/chest, genital, and facial surgery until a patient is at least 19 years old. Gender-affirming care for minors has been under attack from conservative politicians for several years. Twenty-seven states ban all or some such care for minors, and the U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld Tennessee's law restricting the treatment."

The American Medical Association recommends delaying gender-affirming surgeries until patients reach adulthood, noting genital surgery is rare for minors though some teens undergo top surgery or facial procedures. Common gender-affirming care for youth includes puberty blockers, hormone therapy, social transition, and counseling. The AMA's change followed the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' recommendation to delay breast/chest, genital, and facial surgery until at least age 19. Political pressures have produced broad restrictions: twenty-seven states limit or ban care for minors, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Tennessee's restriction, and federal policy actions have restricted funding and prompted hospitals to stop offering care. Two cited reports have been criticized as containing misinformation and promoting conversion approaches, while advocates point to studies showing benefits of gender-affirming care.

Read at Advocate.com