The report, released on May 1, promotes dangerous and discredited practices known as conversion therapy in place of widely accepted, evidence based Standards of Care for transgender youth.
New York, New York – The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a 400 page report on Thursday, May 1 that seeks to deny evidence-based essential health care for transgender youth and promote the dangerous and widely discredited practices which they are calling “exploratory therapy.”
“Every parent wants their child to be happy and healthy,” says Luce Remy, Vice President of Public Policy at Family Equality. “Like all families, the families of transgender young people should have the freedom to ensure their children can get the medical care they need. Decades of research and countless medical experts agree: Denying essential medical care and instead subjecting transgender youth to dangerous and widely discredited practices puts the lives and well-being of transgender youth and families at risk.”
For decades, every major medical association—including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics—has recognized medical care as the only safe and effective treatment for gender dysphoria. This care uses the same trusted medications as those used to treat youth for a range of health care issues, like early-onset puberty.
Meanwhile, every major U.S. medical and mental health association has spoken out against practices known as conversion therapy, which has long been used to shame young LGBTQ+ people into hating themselves. When LGBTQ+ youth are pressured by conversion therapists to change in ways that are impossible, they are more than twice as likely to report attempting suicide and multiple suicide attempts.
The report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can be found here.
About Family Equality
Family Equality is creating a world where everyone can experience the love, safety, and belonging of family. As the leading national organization for current and future LGBTQ+ families, we work to ensure that everyone has the freedom to find, form, and sustain their families by advancing LGBTQ+ equality through advocacy, resources, storytelling, and education.
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