Latest news with #transgendercare
New York Times
18-06-2025
- Health
- New York Times
What Has Medical Research Found on Gender Treatments for Trans Youth?
In Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling, the chief justice made many references to the medical research on gender treatments for minors, arguing that the scientific uncertainty in the niche field justified Tennessee's ban. 'This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field,' Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote in the majority opinion. He argued that these questions should be resolved by 'the people, their elected representatives and the democratic process.' Countries across the world have grappled in recent years with thorny questions over the care for adolescents, which can include puberty-blocking drugs, hormones and, in rarer cases, surgeries. While the published medical evidence in support of such care is limited, many clinicians who provide these treatments and some families of transgender children say they can be beneficial and even lifesaving. Systematic reviews commissioned by international health bodies have consistently found that the evidence of the benefits of the treatments is weak, as is the evidence on the potential harms. Long-term risks can include the loss of fertility and the possibility that adolescents may regret their decisions down the line. As demand for the treatments has risen, countries have chosen different ways to respond. Health agencies in England, Sweden, Finland and Denmark have restricted the treatments to extreme cases or required medications to be prescribed only within clinical research. Medical groups drafting guidelines in Germany recently acknowledged the uncertain evidence but cautiously endorsed the treatments, citing the clinical consensus and stating that not treating patients was 'not a neutral option.' In his majority opinion for the Court, Chief Roberts cited the changes in Europe as evidence of the uncertainty in the field. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Wall Street Journal
01-06-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
The GOP Megabill Policies on the Senate Chopping Block
WASHINGTON—Contentious provisions related to judicial powers, artificial intelligence, gun suppressors and transgender care tucked inside House Republicans' tax and spending megabill could be struck by the GOP-led Senate after it returns to work next week. The final bill must comply with the Senate's Byrd Rule, named for the late West Virginia Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd, which prevents lawmakers from using the special budget reconciliation process to advance unrelated policies. Reconciliation allows Republicans to pass President Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill with just 51 votes—rather than the 60 usually required in the Senate—but only if their provisions all have a meaningful fiscal impact that aren't 'merely incidental.'
