{"id":2086550,"date":"2023-11-01T10:55:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T14:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/physician-who-pioneered-transgender-hormone-treatments-for-children-speaks-out-about-dangers\/"},"modified":"2023-11-01T10:59:23","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T14:59:23","slug":"physician-who-pioneered-transgender-hormone-treatments-for-children-speaks-out-about-dangers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/physician-who-pioneered-transgender-hormone-treatments-for-children-speaks-out-about-dangers\/","title":{"rendered":"Doctor who advanced transgender hormone treatments for minors warns of risks."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fphysician-who-pioneered-transgender-hormone-treatments-for-children-speaks-out-about-dangers%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2086550&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>A Physician&#8217;s Warning: The Dangers of Medicalizing Gender-Distressed Children<\/h2>\n<p>Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala, a pioneering physician\u200d in Europe who\u200c helped develop transgender \u2062hormone treatments for\u200d children, is now\u200d speaking out about the risks of medical\u200c intervention for \u2062gender-distressed youth.<\/p>\n<p>As the chief adolescent psychiatrist at Finland&#8217;s Tampere University\u200b Hospital, \u200bDr. Kaltiala was appointed to lead the country&#8217;s first youth gender clinic \u2062in 2011.\u200b However, she had\u200d reservations about\u200c the &#8220;affirming&#8221; model of transgender treatment from the beginning, and she is \u200dnow raising concerns about the potential dangers of affirming\u200c children&#8217;s new gender identities\u2062 and rushing into\u200b medical interventions.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;I\u200d had \u2064some serious questions about all this,&#8221; Kaltiala \u2064wrote in an op-ed in The Free\u2062 Press. &#8220;We were being told\u200d to intervene in healthy,\u2064 functioning bodies simply\u200b on \u2064the basis of a young person&#8217;s shifting feelings about gender.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>When the youth gender clinic opened its doors, Dr. Kaltiala expected to see a small \u200bnumber\u200b of boys who consistently identified as girls. However, they \u2063were inundated with \u2063patients, with 90% of them\u2064 being \u200dgirls\u200d aged 15 to 17, many of whom had severe\u200c psychiatric conditions. Some of these girls had family\u200b issues, were on the autism spectrum, or had suddenly declared their gender dysphoria in adolescence.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Now they were coming to us because their \u2062parents, usually just \u2062mothers, had been \u200btold by someone in an LGBT organization that gender identity was their child&#8217;s real problem, or the child \u2063had seen something\u2062 online about the benefits of transition,&#8221; Dr.\u200c Kaltiala explained.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Despite initially offering transgender hormone treatments, Dr. \u2064Kaltiala and her colleagues soon realized that the promised positive outcomes were not \u2064materializing. Instead, the young \u2063people they treated were \u200dnot thriving and their lives were deteriorating, leading to social isolation.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Kaltiala and her colleagues attempted to raise awareness\u2064 about their concerns, even conducting a study on the clinic&#8217;s \u200bpatients. However, others in the field continued to \u200cadvocate for \u2063expanding hormone treatments.<\/p>\n<p>In 2015, the clinic observed a phenomenon called &#8220;social \u2062contagion-linked \u200dgender dysphoria,&#8221; where groups of teenage \u2064girls from the same area \u2062arrived with similar \u2062stories about realizing they were transgender. This prompted Finland&#8217;s two \u200bpediatric gender clinics to\u2062 revise their protocols in 2016, prioritizing more urgent issues over gender dysphoria and referring patients to alternative treatments like \u2062counseling.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Kaltiala \u200crevealed that her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/physician-who-pioneered-transgender-hormone-treatments-for-children-speaks-out-about-dangers\/\" title=\"Doctor who advanced transgender hormone treatments for minors warns of risks.\">psychiatric department initially \u2063supported transitioning<\/a> about half\u200b of the youth who \u2064sought \u2064treatment at \u2062the \u200cgender clinic. \u200cHowever, \u200dthat\u200b number has\u2062 now dropped to around \u206420%. Some patients\u2063 have \u200deven returned, expressing regret about their gender transitions.<\/p>\n<p>In her op-ed, Dr.\u2064 Kaltiala also expressed\u2064 concern about the American medical community&#8217;s endorsement of the &#8220;affirming&#8221; model for transgender services\u2062 in children. She criticized \u2063the American Academy of \u2064Pediatrics for being \u2063&#8221;actively hostile&#8221; to her message\u200b and cautioned against the assertion that children inherently know their true selves\u200c and should be immediately started on \u2064treatment.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;When medical professionals start saying they have one answer that applies everywhere, or that they have \u2064a cure for\u200d all of life&#8217;s pains, that should be\u2062 a warning\u200d to\u2062 us all that\u2064 something has gone very wrong,&#8221; Dr. Kaltiala warned.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Meanwhile,\u200c the number\u2063 of \u2063children identifying as transgender is on the rise, \u2063with \u200ban estimated 300,000 minors aged 13 to 17\u200c identifying as transgender as\u200c of last year.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How can healthcare professionals,\u2064 parents, and society approach \u200dthe treatment of gender-distressed children and adolescents more cautiously, taking into account the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thousands-of-marginalized-students-are-missing-from-virtual-learning\/\" title=\"\u2018Thousands\u2019 Of Marginalized Students Are Missing From Virtual Learning\">potential <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/young-americans-must-lead-the-way-in-opposing-additional-covid-shutdowns\/\" title=\"Young Americans Must Lead The Way In Opposing Additional COVID Shutdowns\">long-term consequences<\/a><\/a> on their physical and mental well-being<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Outcomes did not always materialize. In fact, many \u200bof the young \u2063patients experienced regret and additional psychological distress after undergoing medical interventions.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Kaltiala and \u200cher team conducted a study in which they followed up with\u2064 patients \u2064who had sought treatment\u2064 at the youth gender clinic. They found that \u200ba significant number of individuals experienced\u200b dissatisfaction\u2062 with the outcomes \u2063of medical \u2063interventions, and some \u2062even expressed regret for the irreversible\u200c changes that had been made to their bodies.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;We had \u2063patients coming back to us, feeling even \u200cworse than before,&#8221; Dr. Kaltiala shared. &#8220;Some struggled with ongoing \u200bmental\u200d health \u200bissues, anxiety, and\u2062 even suicidal thoughts. This was not what we had anticipated.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>These \u2063findings have led\u2063 Dr. Kaltiala to\u200c question the\u200b prevailing approach of immediately affirming \u200ca child&#8217;s gender identity\u2063 and\u200d rushing into medical interventions. She believes\u2063 that a\u2062 more\u200d cautious \u200band comprehensive approach is necessary, one that takes into account each individual&#8217;s unique circumstances and psychological\u2064 well-being.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, Dr. Kaltiala emphasizes the importance of\u2064 exploring alternative explanations and possible underlying issues that may contribute to\u2063 gender distress in children and \u2064adolescents, such as trauma, social pressures, or mental health concerns. It is crucial\u2064 to ensure that a comprehensive assessment is conducted to rule \u200dout other potential factors\u200b before making irreversible decisions regarding medical interventions.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Kaltiala&#8217;s concerns are supported by other medical professionals and researchers in the field. \u200cA growing body of\u2063 evidence suggests that medical interventions for gender-distressed children and adolescents should \u2063be approached \u200dwith caution, as\u2063 they \u200dcan \u2063have long-term consequences on physical\u2062 and mental well-being.<\/p>\n<p>By raising \u200bawareness about the potential dangers of medicalizing gender-distressed children, Dr.\u2062 Kaltiala hopes to encourage a more balanced and cautious \u200capproach to treatment. She advocates for comprehensive psychological evaluations,\u2062 informed decision-making, and ongoing support for individuals who are questioning their gender \u2063identity.<\/p>\n<p>It is crucial for healthcare professionals, parents, and society as a whole to reflect on the importance of providing\u200c appropriate support and guidance to gender-distressed children and \u200cadolescents. Rushing into medical interventions without fully understanding the complexities of the individual&#8217;s situation can have lasting negative \u2063effects\u2062 on \u2062their overall well-being.<\/p>\n<p>Dr.\u200b Kaltiala&#8217;s warning serves as a timely \u2062reminder \u200cthat the best interests of gender-distressed youth should always be prioritized, \u2064and their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/norfolk-southern-says-cost-of-east-palestine-derailment-has-doubled-as-chemical-cleanup-continues\/\" title=\"Norfolk Southern: East Palestine Derailment Cleanup Costs Doubled\">long-term \u2062health<\/a> and well-being \u2064should be the driving force behind\u2064 any decisions regarding their\u200d medical care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala, a pioneering physician in Europe for transgender hormone treatments in children, is now raising concerns about medicalizing gender-distressed children. As the chief adolescent psychiatrist at Finland&#8217;s Tampere University Hospital, she was appointed to lead the youth gender clinic in 2011, solidifying her role in this field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":2086551,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2086550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2086550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2086550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2086550\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2086551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2086550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2086550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2086550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}