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Top UK pediatrician says US doctors 'out of date' regarding trans interventions for minors: One of the top pediatricians in the United Kingdom, who recently issued a report urging caution regarding hormonal and surgical interventions for trans-identified minors, claims medical professionals in the United States are "out of date" regarding such practices. #UnitedKingdom #England #transgender #HilaryCass #EndocrineSociety #AmericanAcademyofPediatrics #AAP #genderidentity #genderdysphoria #NationalHealthService

Transforming Adolescent Health: A Call for Action in Contraceptive Education and Accessibility Growing up in the 80s, my rare visits to my hometown laid bare a stark reality: adolescent girls who became pregnant often faced life-altering consequences like school dropout, social ostracism, and significant loss of agency—outcomes that were glaringly absent for the boys involved. Decades later, despite advancements in modern contraceptive methods and broader access to information, similar stories still unfold. This continuity begs the question: Why has so little changed? During a recent visit home, a casual conversation hinted at a deeply ingrained social construct: "Our girls like to get pregnant. They are morally loose." The tone of the statement struck a chord with me; revealing the pervasive socio-cultural and religious barriers that continue to stifle family planning uptake among unmarried adolescent girls in low- and middle-income settings (LMICs) like Nigeria. Reflecting on my experience facilitating reproductive health training for private medicine retailers (often the first point of contact for health care seekers in Nigeria), I recognized the palpable tension and notable unease over providing contraceptive information and services to adolescents. Addressing this, I emphasized our duty to provide unbiased, comprehensive reproductive health options. Our discussions underlined that withholding information only perpetuates cycles of unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and school dropouts, primarily affecting girls. In another project driven by CHAI, we collaborated with the State Ministries of Health (SMOHs), the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN), and community gatekeepers across three (3) States in Northwestern Nigeria, we empowered rural women to operate as patent and proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs), creating an all-female sales workforce that improved access to family planning information and services. Through this transformative project, we gained firsthand insight into the pressing need for accurate reproductive health knowledge. For instance, we encountered a client (unmarried and a mother since her teenage years) who initially held the misconception that family planning (FP) was only meant for married women. This realization shed light on the profound impact of misinformation on individuals' life choices and underscored the urgency of providing accurate and far-reaching reproductive health (FP) education and services. When it comes to finding solutions, a multi-sectoral approach is vital. we must engage the broader health sector players, orientation agencies, educational institutions, and community gatekeepers to disseminate accurate family planning information, which can enhance the effectiveness of public health sector initiatives. This collective effort can significantly enhance sexual and reproductive health rights for adolescents, helping them make informed decisions about their bodies and futures.

📊 A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics indicates that the majority of transgender youth do not reverse their transition even after several years. 🔍 Researchers examined 220 trans youths who have been transitioning for at least five years, using data from Princeton University’s TransYouth Project, a national longitudinal study. ⤵ Read the complete story below: #TransYouth #GenderIdentity #JAMAPediatrics #TransYouthProject #ResearchInsights #LGBTQ #News

Leave trans youth alone!!! The claim that between 2019 and 2023, there were at least 13,394 gender reassignment procedures on individuals aged 17.5 years or younger nationwide, with the youngest being seven years old, originates from data reported by the organization Do No Harm. According to their findings, these procedures encompass both medical interventions, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapies, and surgical interventions, including mastectomies and phalloplasties. It’s important to note that the term “gender reassignment procedures” in this context includes a broad range of treatments, not solely surgeries. For instance, the data indicates that among these procedures, there were 4,160 breast removal surgeries (mastectomies) and 660 phalloplasty procedures performed on minors during this period. The inclusion of a reported case involving a seven-year-old suggests that some very young individuals have received gender-related medical interventions; however, specific details about the nature of the procedures performed on such young children are not extensively detailed in the available data. It’s also worth mentioning that other studies have reported lower numbers. For example, a study published in JAMA Network Open in 2023 estimated that 3,678 minors aged 12 to 18 years underwent gender-affirming surgeries between 2016 and 2020. The discrepancy between these figures may be due to differences in data collection methods, definitions of procedures, and age ranges. In addition, do the individuals and groups expressing outrage over gender-affirming care for trans youth feel the same level of concern when doctors and parents make decisions about the sex and gender of intersex infants. These decisions often involve irreversible surgeries and procedures to assign a binary gender—frequently based on societal norms. If the objection to gender-affirming care is rooted in the belief that minors cannot consent to such interventions, why does this concern seem absent when it comes to intersex children? Shouldn’t the same principles of bodily autonomy and informed consent apply universally? And what about cisgender youth that receive gender-affirming care, like puberty blockers, etc.?

"Cults are not unusual, as human phenomena go; the unusual point is that one came to control parts of the NHS. As Cass relates, again euphemistically, “for this group of young people expertise has been concentrated in a small group of people, which has served to gatekeep the knowledge”. Suitably translated, so that “expertise” means “power” and “gatekeep the knowledge” means “deflect real scrutiny”, she is effectively pointing to the fact that much damage can be done in an institution by only a few zealots, as long as they are the ones presumed in charge of things by others." #nhsengland #Betrayal #nhs #manifesto #nhsheroes #children #healthcare #childrensrights #childprotection #childwelfare #safeguardingchildren #parenting #parents #SaveTheChildren #SaveOurChildren #government #womensrightsarehumanrights #kathleenstock #childabuse #istandwithkathleenstock #womensafety #selfidentify #IStandWithJKR #IStandWithGlinner #Istandwithmarionmillar #identitypolitics #WomenWontWheesht #feminism #feminist #maternity #pregnantwomen #pregnancy #motherhood #mothers #etymology #ideology #diversity #wokery #woke #cancelculture #cancel #womensrights #womeninlaw #culturewars #womeninpolitics #bullying #genderequality #humanrightsviolations #humanrightsdefenders #humanrightslaw #crime #freespeech #freedomofspeech #mediareporting #politics #democracy https://lnkd.in/ebUz5rWw

File under "shouldn't be news but it is": JAMA Pediatrics, the premier journal on child and adolescent health, just published peer-reviewed research showing that transgender/gender expansive youth have better mental health outcomes if their families are supportive of them. But what do families need to be supportive? How can mental health professionals help parents and other caregivers build their own understanding while also helping the kids they love thrive? Turns out, my fabulous colleagues at Lewis & Clark's Community Counseling Center (https://lnkd.in/gCJy3UeJ) and the Transactive Gender Project (https://lnkd.in/g4zXbuAx) have some answers. We aren't training brain surgeons or firefighters, but we are training people who are saving lives. https://lnkd.in/g375eE9N

Science not used: Syphilis increased by 80% in the US between 2018 & 2022. Infants born with syphilis in the US increased from 334 in 2012 to 3,761 in 2022. How have Bexar County numbers changed from 2010? Children of Alcoholics or the mentally ill are at high risk for abuse. 50,000 Special Education students in Bexar Co are at high risk for abuse and sexual exploitation. Thousands are not identified. It's abuse not to educate disabled children or not provide meaningful careers for disabled adults. Do you know of research linking Syphilis & Disability? Congenital Syphilis became a priority in 2011. The Metro Health Director obtained a CDC grant & hired staff from Georgia to manage the project. The upstream approach includes Homeless, Prostitution. Non-Bexar Congenital Syphilis births were excluded by managers possibly related to Eagle Ford oil workers. Metro Health used a medical model that increased testing of pregnant mothers to reduce congenital Syphilis births. 11 Congenital Syphilis births in 2010, last year data was provided to Health Profile. How do Medicaid-funded births, Late prenatal care, no prenatal care & lack of transportation impact Congenital Syphilis births? About 1/3 of Syphilis is in females. I prepared & Managed Health Profiles from 1998 to 2013. I was the only source for birth & death indicators by zipcode, Council, & School District in Bexar Co. Health Profiles were discontinued around 2015. According to a Bexar Co 2013 Heat map I prepared, most Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, & Syphilis cases were in Westside. 1-mile grid 13,748 geocoded 15,367 total According to a 2016 Heat map, I prepared. Most Syphilis cases were located in the NW downtown. The STD clinic has been centrally located for over 20 years. STD locations in a 1957 report Slum & Blighted report. The City Council relocated the STD clinic to the Eastside. Data didn't support moving the STD clinic. The Air Force base had the highest concentration. Data Quality issues: Gonorrhea, Chlamydia are identified during prenatal care. Were males tracked & treated? About 60% of STD addresses were missing or incomplete. I included Child Abuse data in Health Profiles. Children with disabilities are more than 3 times more likely to be victims of abuse or sexual exploration. Disabled rate of violent crime (46.2 per 1,000 age 12 or older) was almost four times persons without disabilities (12.3 per 1,000). After Dr. Guerra retired in Christmas of 2010. Metro Health was reorganized, and staff were replaced. Nurse-run clinics transferred to the County in 2009. Despite my 25 years with the City & nationally recognized, I couldn't advance or keep what I built. Data was outsourced. With my vision impairment I was relocated to an unfamiliar, isolated, remote bio lab. I rejected my corona transplant & depended on my white cane. My American with Disability request to relocate downtown for healthcare was denied. With our pension at risk, I retired early in Christmas of 2017.

Perelel Acquires LOOM to Boost Women’s Health Education in Sexual, Reproductive Health – MedCity News - MedCity News #PerelelAcquiresLOOM #BoostingWomensHealthEducation #SexualReproductiveHealth Perelel, a leading healthcare IT company, has recently acquired LOOM, a platform dedicated to women's health education. This acquisition aims to enhance education in sexual and reproductive health for women. Perelel's commitment to improving healthcare through technology is evident in this strategic move. With LOOM's expertise in women's health, Perelel is poised to make a significant impact in this vital area of healthcare. #HealthcareIT #WomenHealth #HealthEducation ai.mediformatica.com #health #perelel #loom #education #reproductivehealth #community #platform #model #pregnancy #sexualhealth #change #courses #digitalhealth #healthit #healthtech #healthcaretechnology @MediFormatica (https://buff.ly/3zOgkPn)

Demanding Change: Urging US Medical Organizations to Follow the Science Despite recent revelations and the release of the final report, certain medical organizations in the US have yet to alter their approaches. Join us in calling on the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to align with their European counterparts and cease promoting social affirmation without scientific backing. #FollowTheScience #USMedicalOrganizations #SocialAffirmationDebate #TransgenderHealth #EvidenceBasedMedicine #MedicalCommunity #HealthcareAdvocacy #TransgenderRights #EqualityInHealthcare #LGBTQ+Advocacy #TransgenderSupport

Comprehensive Summary of the Maternal Health Equity Research Initiative Morgan State University is leading a national coalition of 16 colleges to research maternal health disparities, with a specific focus on understanding why mothers of color face higher risks during pregnancy and childbirth compared to their white counterparts. This initiative, supported by a $50 million investment over five years, aims to address these disparities through community-engaged research and practical solutions. Leadership and Community Approach: The project is led by Professor Yvonne Bronner and distinguishes itself by prioritizing community input, contrasting with traditional "ivory tower" research. Morgan State, acting as the central hub, collaborates with 15 other minority-serving institutions to ensure the research is inclusive and representative of the communities affected. The first year of the project focuses on examining historical maternal health outcomes in local communities. In subsequent years, the team will evaluate existing resources and identify effective interventions to close the gap in maternal health outcomes. Research and Practical Solutions: A key component of the initiative is integrating practical solutions, such as incorporating doulas non-medically trained birthing assistants into Medicaid, which has been shown to significantly benefit Black mothers during childbirth. This practical approach aims to improve access to effective maternal health support for mothers of color. Additionally, the initiative provides applied training for students through paid fellowships, addressing the knowledge gap in maternal and child health education at historically minority-serving institutions. Training and Professional Development: The program also aims to address the shortage of qualified research professionals by incorporating training into the research process. Students from various academic disciplines are trained over the summer to study racial disparities and engage their local communities in discussions about maternal health needs. This hands-on training is designed to prepare the next generation of maternal health researchers and practitioners, ensuring that the research conducted is both rigorous and community-focused. Goals and Future Funding: The ultimate goal of the research network is to develop preventive measures that improve maternal health outcomes for women of color. The initiative emphasizes community-based, holistic approaches to health care, aiming to destigmatize and demystify sex education, and promote preventive health measures. The project's future funding, essential for its continued success, depends on congressional and administrative decisions. This comprehensive approach sets the Morgan State-led coalition apart, with its commitment to community dialogue, practical solutions, and the integration of research and training aimed at reducing maternal health disparities.