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A coalition of 22 Attorneys General and Republican leaders, led by Idaho AG Raul R. Labrador sent a letter to American Academy of Pediatrics ("AAP") President Benjamin Hoffman and President-Elect Susan Kressly regarding AAP's compliance with State Consumer Protection Laws.
The letter starts off talking about the power and influence the organization holds over its 67,000 pediatrician members, the medical community at large, the public, and especially parents, and how the AAP has been at the forefront of important advances in the field of pediatrics.
"But when it comes to treating children diagnosed with gender dysphoria, the AAP has abandoned its commitment to sound medical judgement," the coalition writes. "In 2023, it "reaffirmed" the 2018 AAP policy statement on gender-affirming care. That policy statement endorses treating minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria with puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgical interventions. And it tells physicians, the public, and parents and their children that puberty blockers used to treat adolescents with gender dysphoria are 'reversible'."
"This statement is misleading and deceptive. It is beyond medical debate that puberty blockers are not fully reversible but instead come with serious long-term consequences," asserts the coalition in the letter.
The AGs go on, citing a study commissioned by the National Health Service ("NHS") of England known as the "Cass Report," which identifies several possible irreversible consequences for children who are given puberty blockers. These drugs may interfere with neurocognitive development, compromise bone density and may negatively affect metabolic health and weight, and block normal pubertal experience and experimentation.
Furthermore, when puberty blocker use is followed by cross-sex hormones, the consequences include infertility and sterility, at least for children who began puberty blockers in early puberty.
"Telling parents and children that puberty blockers are "reversible" at the very least conveys assurance that no permanent harm or change will occur," writes the coalition. "But that claim cannot be made in the face of the unstudied and "novel" use of puberty blockers to treat gender dysphoria."
Then the coalition takes a swing at the pseudo-scientific organization known as WPATH, The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, which has been exposed as "unreliable" and "influenced by improper pressures."
The coalition alleges that the AAP pressured WPATH to make changes to its latest transgender health standards "based on political considerations" but then assured the general public that the standards were evidence based.
The coalition calls the AAP's policy statement "misleading" and "deceptive" and argues that the AAP has no basis to assure parents that puberty blockers are reversible. Because it simply isn't true.
"The halt on what is fairly described as medical experimentation on children is long overdue--particularly since the majority of children initially diagnosed with gender dysphoria desist and "grow out" of the condition by the time they are adolescents or adults," asserts the coalition which goes on to call gender-affirming care "abusive" and "inhumane."
And based on a lie that puberty blockers are "reversible."
The claim is not supported by science, and actually contradicts what is medically known.
The coalition of AGs said the claim raises questions under most state consumer protection laws.
For instance, Idaho law prohibits "[e]ngaging in any act or practice that is otherwise misleading, false, or deceptive to the consumer." Most other states have similar consumer protection laws.
The AGs argue that the AAP is subject to state consumer protection laws, and that misleading and deceptive statements from medical trade associations are tied to commerce and reach consumers. In fact, the AAP even has a "Shop AAP" link prominently displayed next to the "reversible" claim on its website. The AGs argue that the AAP's statements and guidance have a direct impact on how pediatricians practice medicine and how parents make decisions about medical treatment.
While the AAP has promised to review the evidence on gender-affirming care, the organization is still misleading and deceiving consumers by maintaining the claim that puberty blockers are "reversible."
The AGs are calling for an immediate retraction and correction on these claims.
The coalition also included a 14-point data request for the AAP, including explanations regarding past policy decisions on puberty blockers, evidence it has used to substantiate claims it has made, communications it has had with the WPATH and the Biden administration, and more by October 28th.
The letter was signed by AGs from Idaho, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, Texas, Utah, and Virginia, along with the Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives and President of the Arizona Senate.
You can read the full letter below.
