US health agency’s ‘review’ advocates for therapy for youth gender dysphoria

Dr Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health. Photograph: Ben Curtis/AP

The federal health department released what it described as a “comprehensive review” of pediatric gender dysphoria – advocating for therapy instead of medical care for youth whose gender identity does not match their assigned sex.

The 409-page report claimed that while the harms of such medical treatment are “sparse”, medical treatment should be avoided in favor of therapy for youth diagnosed with gender dysphoria.