Gender Affirmation Treatments for Minors Must Be Characterized as ‘Experimental’: Norwegian Investigator

Protesters opposing medical transgender procedures for youths gather at the American Academy of Pediatrics convention in Anaheim, Calif., on Oct. 7, 2022. Courtesy of TreVoices.Org/Scott Newgent

Invasive and life-altering treatments for gender incongruence and gender dysphoria for children and young people must be characterized as “experimental” according to the latest recommendation from a Norwegian health care investigator.

Puberty delaying treatment along with hormonal and surgical gender affirmation treatments for minors require more research, “a thorough examination before treatment,” explanation of benefits, effects, possible risks, side effects, and a close follow-up, said Ukom, a health care investigator based in Norway that provides related recommendations to the Norwegian government.

Based on data collected by the organization, the national guidelines for gender incongruence, which were established in 2020, leave “room for different interpretations,” and hence, need to be reviewed and updated.

More data needs to be collected to be able to make informed decisions, and there must be a systematic collection of such data for quality research. Ukom has also recommended setting up a national medical register for providing an overview of gender treatments and their effects.

Gender incongruence and dysphoria are generally used interchangeably and refer to the condition where the person does not accept their biological gender and describes themselves as trans or other terms.

Insufficient Knowledge

The organization acknowledges the scarcity of knowledge available in the field.

Moreover, Ukom recognizes that many individuals who suffer from gender incongruity also suffer from other ailments. “75 percent of those referred to the national treatment service have a mental disorder or a condition such as Asperger’s or ADHD,” said the report.

The difficulties faced by individuals who suffer from gender dysphoria combined with social stigmatization have resulted in “psychological pain and disorders such as anxiety and depression.”

Although treatment available now “provides an increased quality of life,” it has “a number of side effects in the short and long term, both physically and psychologically,” and comes with “consequences that last a lifetime.”

“In summary, we can say that there are still many unsettled questions regarding the use of puberty delayers (puberty blockers) and sex-affirming hormones in terms of safety and long-term effects. This means that we need more research-based knowledge. There is much we do not know about the consequences of the treatments, and this must be weighed against the benefit of giving the treatments to those who need them.”

According to the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, there were four people admitted for gender dysphoria-related treatments in the country from 1975 to 1990. However, the number spiked to about 400-600 referrals during 2018-2021.

Europe Veering Away From Gender Ideology

Health authorities in Sweden are moving away from the recommendations of the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) regarding child sex-change surgeries.

Sweden’s changing stance on transgender treatments comes a couple of years after Finland altered its position on the issue. In Finland, adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria were allowed to access puberty blockers and hormones until 2020.

A leading Finnish pediatric gender expert has warned about transgender treatments being pushed on children, pointing out that the majority of children facing “gender identity” issues come out of such confusion when they grow up.

“The young person tries out different identities and is prone to suggestion. In one situation, he feels he is one. And in another, another. It’s normal in adolescence,” she said.

However, four out of five children in such cases feel differently about the matter once they hit adolescence, the expert noted.

According to the expert, both Britain and Sweden have started limiting the use of hormonal treatments for minors.

However, a Jan. 16 report by “Do No Harm,” an organization that seeks to protect the health care profession from radical ideologies, showed that the United States is the “most permissive country” for legal, medical gender transition of children.

“The American people need to understand how radical the United States has become regarding gender ideology,” Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, board chair of Do No Harm, told The Epoch Times in a previous report. “Our study documents the concerns expressed by many European nations about caring for children with gender dysphoria. We show how the concept of ‘gender-affirming care’ in the United States is harming many children.”