The AMA's Support of Gender Affirming Care

The AMA has strengthened its support of the gender affirming care model for trans-identifying children in the wake of 20 state bans. There are many misleading or non-evidence-based claims in the statement, such as that GAC “can be live saving.” 1/https://t.co/EaUhxg6tUw

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) June 14, 2023

The AMA also misleadingly points to “more than 2,000 scientific studies” on the gender-affirming care model since 1975, despite the fact that only a small number of these studies concerned children—the focus of the bans. GAC for kids has only been studied since the late 90s. 3/

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) June 14, 2023

The “Dutch model” of treating trans-identifying kids with puberty blockers and hormones was first imported to the US in 2007 at Boston Children’s and was only used in a very small number of children until about 2015. 4/

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) June 14, 2023

The AMA also refers to the gender-affirming care model for trans-identifying kids as “evidence based”. @WritingBlock reported for @bmj_latest that the research about such care is of such low quality that the care cannot legitimately be called “evidence based.” 5/… pic.twitter.com/9Pa1RExDny

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) June 14, 2023

Researchers have not proved that treating children who identify as transgender with puberty blockers and hormones is associated with a reduction in deaths by suicide. So it is a falsehood to call such treatment “live saving,” as the @AmerMedicalAssn does. 6/

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) June 14, 2023

The AMA says that gender-affirming care is "designed to take a conservative approach," suggesting that because pre-adolescent children don't receive treatment, this is being conservative. But there is no need for such treatment until adolescence hits. 7/https://t.co/EaUhxg6tUw pic.twitter.com/Dfbk0Bf7g5

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) June 14, 2023

The new head of the @AmerMedicalAssn is @DoctorJesseMD, the first-ever openly gay man to hold the post. Here he is at the AMA conference in Chicago with prominent trans activists @Esqueer_ and @ElleLettMDPhD. https://t.co/krkga1qwJ7

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) June 14, 2023

Note that I twice typed "live" when I meant "life" in this thread.

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) June 14, 2023

If anyone sees or thinks that I have stated anything incorrect in this thread or have otherwise misread the available science, I welcome you to point that out. I appreciate your pointing to sources, such as published studies.

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) June 14, 2023

Note that @ElleLettMDPhD does not wish to be characterized as an activist. She is a scientist. pic.twitter.com/AeGOKb7UEq

— Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) June 14, 2023