WASHINGTON (TNND) — A new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is raising questions about the treatment of gender dysphoria in children and teenagers. The report suggests a more cautious approach, recommending that medical professionals and parents prioritize talk therapy and individualized care over immediate medical interventions such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries.

The need for caution

The report does not call for an outright ban on these treatments but emphasizes the need for more caution. According to the HHS report:

Nevertheless, the 'gender-affirming' model of care includes irreversible endocrine and surgical interventions on minors with no physical pathology,

Concerns about the long-term effects of these treatments are highlighted, including potential risks such as infertility, impaired bone density, and adverse cognitive impacts. "These interventions carry risk of significant harms including infertility/sterility, sexual dysfunction, impaired bone density accrual, adverse cognitive impacts, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders, psychiatric disorders, surgical complications, and regret," the report said. Research from the Mayo Clinic backs these concerns up.

According to the Mayo Clinic, use of GnRH analogues, also called puberty blockers, might have long-term effects on:

• Growth spurts
• Bone growth
• Bone density
• Fertility, depending on when the medicine is started

Gender dysphoria on the rise

The HHS report also notes a significant increase in gender dysphoria diagnoses among teens in recent years. According to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, approximately 1.6 million people aged 13 and older identify as transgender in the United States, including about 300,000 youth aged 13-17. The CDC's 2023 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey of 20,000 high schoolers found 5.5% either identified as transgender or questioned if they were.

The HHS report suggests that social and psychological factors may contribute to the rise in gender dysphoria cases and calls for further research to understand these influences better.

Critically, the report argues that many U.S. medical professionals have expanded gender-affirming treatments without sufficient scientific and ethical justification. "A central theme of this Review is that many U.S. medical professionals and associations have fallen short of their duty to prioritize the health interests of young patients," the report stated.

The report contrasts the U.S. approach with countries like Sweden and the U.K., which have re-evaluated and scaled back their use of these treatments in minors.