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For the first time, two major medical groups have backed limitations on gender-related surgical treatments for minors in the United States.
The American Medical Association, the nation’s largest organization representing doctors, on Wednesday said these procedures generally should be deferred until patients reach adulthood.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons took a similar position on Tuesday, saying that gender-related surgeries should be delayed until age 19.
The issue has become increasingly fraught as the federal government and some states move to ban medical interventions for adolescents with gender dysphoria.
Until now, most of the nation’s medical groups have opposed efforts to restrict gender-related care, with many calling for evidence-based decisions that consider the specific needs of a patient, no matter their age.
These treatments may include puberty-blocking drugs, hormone therapies and, in rarer cases, surgeries. A review of hospital data from 2016 through 2020 identified about 3,600 patients aged 12 to 18 who had received gender-related surgery. The vast majority were mastectomies.
Source: Doctors’ Group Endorses Restrictions on Gender-Related Surgery for Minors – The New York Times