Doctor who advanced transgender hormone treatments for minors warns of risks.
A Physician’s Warning: The Dangers of Medicalizing Gender-Distressed Children
Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala, a pioneering physician in Europe who helped develop transgender hormone treatments for children, is now speaking out about the risks of medical intervention for gender-distressed youth.
As the chief adolescent psychiatrist at Finland’s Tampere University Hospital, Dr. Kaltiala was appointed to lead the country’s first youth gender clinic in 2011. However, she had reservations about the “affirming” model of transgender treatment from the beginning, and she is now raising concerns about the potential dangers of affirming children’s new gender identities and rushing into medical interventions.
“I had some serious questions about all this,” Kaltiala wrote in an op-ed in The Free Press. “We were being told to intervene in healthy, functioning bodies simply on the basis of a young person’s shifting feelings about gender.”
When the youth gender clinic opened its doors, Dr. Kaltiala expected to see a small number of boys who consistently identified as girls. However, they were inundated with patients, with 90% of them being girls aged 15 to 17, many of whom had severe psychiatric conditions. Some of these girls had family issues, were on the autism spectrum, or had suddenly declared their gender dysphoria in adolescence.
“Now they were coming to us because their parents, usually just mothers, had been told by someone in an LGBT organization that gender identity was their child’s real problem, or the child had seen something online about the benefits of transition,” Dr. Kaltiala explained.
Despite initially offering transgender hormone treatments, Dr. Kaltiala and her colleagues soon realized that the promised positive outcomes were not materializing. Instead, the young people they treated were not thriving and their lives were deteriorating, leading to social isolation.
Dr. Kaltiala and her colleagues attempted to raise awareness about their concerns, even conducting a study on the clinic’s patients. However, others in the field continued to advocate for expanding hormone treatments.
In 2015, the clinic observed a phenomenon called “social contagion-linked gender dysphoria,” where groups of teenage girls from the same area arrived with similar stories about realizing they were transgender. This prompted Finland’s two pediatric gender clinics to revise their protocols in 2016, prioritizing more urgent issues over gender dysphoria and referring patients to alternative treatments like counseling.
Dr. Kaltiala revealed that her psychiatric department initially supported transitioning about half of the youth who sought treatment at the gender clinic. However, that number has now dropped to around 20%. Some patients have even returned, expressing regret about their gender transitions.
In her op-ed, Dr. Kaltiala also expressed concern about the American medical community’s endorsement of the “affirming” model for transgender services in children. She criticized the American Academy of Pediatrics for being ”actively hostile” to her message and cautioned against the assertion that children inherently know their true selves and should be immediately started on treatment.
“When medical professionals start saying they have one answer that applies everywhere, or that they have a cure for all of life’s pains, that should be a warning to us all that something has gone very wrong,” Dr. Kaltiala warned.
Meanwhile, the number of children identifying as transgender is on the rise, with an estimated 300,000 minors aged 13 to 17 identifying as transgender as of last year.
How can healthcare professionals, parents, and society approach the treatment of gender-distressed children and adolescents more cautiously, taking into account the potential long-term consequences on their physical and mental well-being
Outcomes did not always materialize. In fact, many of the young patients experienced regret and additional psychological distress after undergoing medical interventions.
Dr. Kaltiala and her team conducted a study in which they followed up with patients who had sought treatment at the youth gender clinic. They found that a significant number of individuals experienced dissatisfaction with the outcomes of medical interventions, and some even expressed regret for the irreversible changes that had been made to their bodies.
“We had patients coming back to us, feeling even worse than before,” Dr. Kaltiala shared. “Some struggled with ongoing mental health issues, anxiety, and even suicidal thoughts. This was not what we had anticipated.”
These findings have led Dr. Kaltiala to question the prevailing approach of immediately affirming a child’s gender identity and rushing into medical interventions. She believes that a more cautious and comprehensive approach is necessary, one that takes into account each individual’s unique circumstances and psychological well-being.
Moreover, Dr. Kaltiala emphasizes the importance of exploring alternative explanations and possible underlying issues that may contribute to gender distress in children and adolescents, such as trauma, social pressures, or mental health concerns. It is crucial to ensure that a comprehensive assessment is conducted to rule out other potential factors before making irreversible decisions regarding medical interventions.
Dr. Kaltiala’s concerns are supported by other medical professionals and researchers in the field. A growing body of evidence suggests that medical interventions for gender-distressed children and adolescents should be approached with caution, as they can have long-term consequences on physical and mental well-being.
By raising awareness about the potential dangers of medicalizing gender-distressed children, Dr. Kaltiala hopes to encourage a more balanced and cautious approach to treatment. She advocates for comprehensive psychological evaluations, informed decision-making, and ongoing support for individuals who are questioning their gender identity.
It is crucial for healthcare professionals, parents, and society as a whole to reflect on the importance of providing appropriate support and guidance to gender-distressed children and adolescents. Rushing into medical interventions without fully understanding the complexities of the individual’s situation can have lasting negative effects on their overall well-being.
Dr. Kaltiala’s warning serves as a timely reminder that the best interests of gender-distressed youth should always be prioritized, and their long-term health and well-being should be the driving force behind any decisions regarding their medical care.
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