Top surgeon warns against possible long-term effects of kids getting 'gender-affirming' care
Dr. Steven Williams joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss why he 'won't even entertain' gender surgeries for minors and some of the possible risks associated with kids getting the procedures.
One of America's top surgeons cautioned against administering gender-affirming care for minors on Monday, telling Fox News the long-term effects are still unknown.
"The real issue here is, as physicians, we're driven by evidence, and our care also involves compassion and interaction with patients. But we have to really look to the evidence when we're thinking about what the appropriate care is for patients, and this is a newly-developing field. For adolescents right now, the evidence, there's just not enough of it yet," Dr. Steven Williams, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, explained on "Fox & Friends First," Monday.
Gender-affirming care can involve hormonal or surgical treatments that help the patient's physical appearance or hormonal makeup more closely align with the gender identity they choose.
American Society of Plastic Surgeons President Dr. Steven Williams is exercising caution instead of administering gender-affirming care to minors. (Fox & Friends First)
Dr. Williams broke ranks on the issue as proponents insist that allowing a child to continue through their natural puberty without the influence of blockers or other gender-affirming care treatments is detrimental to their mental well-being.
Williams counters that claim by pointing to the potential long-term effects of such care, which are currently ambiguous.
"I think there are a lot of things to consider. One is safety. These techniques are still in development and this is a new field for adolescents," he said.
"There are a lot of psychiatric and long-term results that we need to get better data on, and this is a particularly vulnerable population. Again, I think it's important to distinguish that we're talking about adolescent patients. For adults, this care is well-established."
Transgender activists and certain members of the medical community insist gender-affirming care is essential to a child's well-being. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
Some who sought out gender-affirming care in their youth have since attempted to reverse the changes, including detransitioners Chloe Cole and Prisha Mosley, who have been outspoken in warning others of the potential consequences of gender-affirming care procedures.
As far as reversing the measures, Williams says some treatments are easier than others. He specifically cited top surgery, which involves reshaping the breasts to appear either more masculine or more feminine, as one of the less complicated procedures to reverse.
"However, it does leave scars. Every surgery leaves scars that have to be dealt with," he continued. "And that's the bulk of the procedures [that] are performed in adolescents in the United States at this time."
Concerns over gender-affirming care for minors have led others to raise their voices in opposition. The U.K.'s formerly conservative government even imposed regulations to restrict the prescribing and supply of puberty blockers in the nation after listening to concerns from medical officials.
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