5 False Assumptions Behind Youth Gender Transitions

[NonnyMouse1337]

Guest article by the Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine (SEGM) on the Reality's Last Stand substack.

www.realityslaststand.com/p/5-false-assumptions-behind-youth

Unproven Assumption 1: Gender identity, which underlies gender dysphoria, is a fundamental personal characteristic that is biologically “ingrained.”

Unproven Assumption 2: The sharp rise in the number of youth presenting with gender dysphoria does not signal a true increase in cases—it’s merely better detection.

False Assumption 3: Medical interventions in gender-dysphoric minors have clear eligibility criteria.

False Assumption 4: Medical interventions for gender dysphoric minors have been demonstrated to be safe and effective.

Unproven Assumption 5: Detransition does not represent medical harm and is rare.

Thanks Nonny, 5 things which will surprise nobody here! I just wish these could be published as a peer reviewed paper and prompt appropriate research and data sharing. Unfortunately, I suspect it is either i) far too obvious or ii) heresy and completely unpublishable in academic circles

Thanks, Nonny.

'We cannot allow oft-repeated inaccuracies to erroneously harden into “facts.”'

Quite.

Astonishing the gaps in evidence that are skimmed over.

I am still trying to get over the ScotGov/Victor Madrigal Borloz's assertion that 'there is no evidence' that anyone ever abused self ID, as if absence of evidence = evidence of absence. It's quite basic logicfail.

'“The stance of not intervening until more is known,” the authors claim, “is not a neutral option.”'

No, it seems to me to be the more compassionate, sensible and less risky option.

It's nice to read how robust Littman's paper is. I gained the impression that it was drowned at birth.

I listened to the Gender: A Wider Lens episode with two of the Dutch clinic healthcare professionals behind the Dutch puberty blocking protocol last night - Stella and Sasha just reposted it with some commentary. It was quite astonishing how weaselly they were, how different evaluation measures were used in the same trial etc. Sasha and Stella did a good job of probing their bald statements in the interview. The Dutch clinicians came across as a little more cautious than the gung-ho US medics and some of our Tavi people. Even so, there were so many assumptions being made and a lack of curiosity about the people lost to follow-up.

It would be good if someone had a proper look at the suicide statistics often thrown about with little critical thought.

www.transgendertrend.com/the-suicide-myth/

How can they talk about detransitioning being rare - presumably many won't detransition until much later in life and as such, there aren't enough statistics to work with currently.

Apparently the criteria that they use to classify detransitioners is unrealistic and flawed.

Cohn emphasizes that studies that purport very low rates of regret are deeply flawed and unreliable. For example, the study frequently quoted as evidence for 1 percent regret rate, referenced by Rosenthal, would not have counted Keira Bell as a regretter.

The study used by Rosenthal to claim the 1 percent regret rate deserves special attention, as it exemplifies problems in the “low regret” research. This study used a very narrow definition of regret: the subjects had to return to the same clinic that medically treated them and explicitly verbalize regret, which would then have to have been documented on their medical chart—and they would also have to start supplementation with natal sex hormones from the same gender clinic. This explains why someone like Keira Bell—who “only” received hormones and a mastectomy, but had no gonadectomy (removal of ovaries) and did not need same-sex hormonal supplementation—would not be counted as a “regretter.” In addition, the researchers could not assess outcomes for 36 percent of the initial cohort since they ceased their contact with the clinic.

Thanks Nonny. I finally got to read this. There is so much to delve into there, isn’t there?

I read this yesterday

genspect.org/the-dutch-model-is-falling-apart/

I hope that I can find the article that Stella refers to. I wonder if it is available in English as it also seems to be interesting to read in itself. Stella’s probably covered it though tbf.

How interesting though that this past few months have brought such push back. It is like Keira’s case cracked the dam wall but there was just an initial shock and a stream of water while everyone took note. The crack has now opened a bit more and I doubt that WPATH or any other lobby group will be able to stop it. Surely they must have contingencies in place . They credibility of these agencies will be compromised beyond belief soon.

I read this with shock.

I am looking forward to all the activist posters views on this. I wonder if we shall see even one responding ?

And by that I mean on Twitter and Reddit as well.

Pretty much every detransitioner I've read about talks about how they cannot bear to return to the clinics that essentially ruined their life. Or if they do go and somehow manage to speak to someone, the reaction is usually disbelief, denial, dismissal.. claims that there's nothing they can do or they did nothing wrong. Plenty clinics are very evasive about handing over medical records or treatment notes. And it's clear so many of these places have no interest in keeping track of patients that fall off the radar.

yes. But shocked that this study had not been widely shared and seems to have been ignored by many lobby groups who supposedly centring best care for trans people.

Whodathunkit news like that would be never discussed ?

The whole article is a really useful summary of the ethical issues and poor research involved in medical and surgical treatments for children and young adults.

The assumption of the core biological underpinning for “gender identity” and “gender dysphoria” remains an unproven theory: while biology likely plays a role in gender nonconformity, currently, there is no brain, blood, or other objective test that distinguishes a trans-identified from a non-trans identified person once confounding factors such as sexual orientation are controlled for.

Further, the high rate of childhood desistance from gender dysphoria before maturity, (61-98%) and growing evidence of desistance among youth who developed gender dysphoria during or after puberty, challenge the notion that a biologically ingrained “gender identity” is responsible for gender dysphoria. This, in turn, suggests significant ethical problems with treating gender dysphoric youth with irreversible and potentially dangerous medical interventions.

The Endocrine Society’s protocol (puberty blockers at the earliest stage of puberty, followed by cross-sex hormones) renders all those treated according to the protocol infertile or sterile, with no proven methods to preserve fertility due to immaturity of the gonads (ovaries and testes).

Adding the recent Reuters report on detransitioners:

www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-transyouth-outcomes/

the subjects had to return to the same clinic that medically treated them

That's ridiculous! Surely that's the last place they'd want to go if they thought they had received inappropriate care the first time.

And even if they thought the clinic hadn't made mistakes, a lot would still be too embarrassed to go back to the same place and say, 'Er, actually I was mistaken'. Most would want a fresh start.

It is well discussed the issues of gender clinics and detransitioners. Many of them are deeply suspicious, some have no confidence left in the system, some have been told there isn't anything the clinic can offer those detransitioners, there is no detransition care offered. Some like Ritchie, were signed off wasn't he?

In the latest consultation, I think many of us raised that very issue. Detransitioners need to have greater care available to them. And it seems so sinister that the gender clinics with all their endocrinologists, and their psychologists/psychiatrists just don't seem to be on the whole, curious even, but certainly those in positions of decision making seem to be not concerned. Despite all those working within the system raising alarms.

it is the lack of curiousity and concern that I find sinister. It seems to be common across the world though.

Unproven Assumption 2: The sharp rise in the number of youth presenting with gender dysphoria does not signal a true increase in cases—it’s merely better detection.

If this was the case, the recent increase in teenage girls seeking transition would be reflected in a corresponding increase in middle aged women getting the bilateral mastectomies and testosterone they were denied 30-40 years ago because their gender dysphoria went undetected. But that’s not happening.

Thanks OP, good article and yes, it would be great to have much better detransitioner care and acceptance. They are far more marginalised

Would those 'regretter' criteria be more applicable to a male detransitioner, I wonder? Not unproblematic, but perhaps more relevant?