The American Medical Association, one of the largest U.S. healthcare organizations, has revised its position on gender-affirming surgeries for minors, the AMA told Becker’s in a statement shared Feb. 5.
“The AMA supports evidence-based treatment, including gender affirming care. Currently, the evidence for gender-affirming surgical intervention in minors is insufficient for us to make a definitive statement,” the statement said. “In the absence of clear evidence, surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood. Treatment decisions should be made between the physician, patient and family based on the best medical evidence and clinical judgment.”
The position from the AMA, which represents hundreds of thousands of physicians, residents and medical students, marks a slight departure from its previous statements on gender-affirming care for minors, which noted surgery as a treatment for pediatric patients with gender dysphoria.
On Feb. 3, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons became one of the first major U.S. medical organizations to shift its guidance on gender-affirming surgery for pediatric patients. The plastic surgery association recommends delaying “gender-related breast/chest, genital and facial surgery until a patient is at least 19 years old.”
The new statements shared by the AMA and the ASPS come amid increased federal scrutiny on healthcare organizations providing gender-affirming care to minors.
Another leading healthcare organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, told The New York Times it continues to recommend gender-affirming care for minors. Its guidance “does not include a blanket recommendation for surgery for minors.”
The organization’s president, Andrew Racine, MD, PhD, told the Times: “The AAP continues to hold to the principle that patients, their families and their physicians — not politicians — should be the ones to make decisions together about what care is best for them.”
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