Bill Cassidy - Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Bill Cassidy - Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D., a Republican from Louisiana and the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, has initiated an investigation into several major medical organizations. These organizations have been promoting puberty blockers and gender transition surgeries for children despite recent research questioning the scientific evidence supporting these practices.
Dr. Cassidy stated, "These organizations are advocating for hormonal therapy and irreversible surgery to remove the breasts and reproductive organs of children when the medical research shows there is ‘not a reliable evidence base upon which to make clinical decisions’ for these procedures." He emphasized that treatment guidelines should be based on scientific evidence rather than ideology.
The investigation follows the publication of the Cass Review Report in April 2024. Commissioned by the United Kingdom's National Health Service in 2020, this review aimed to understand why more children and adolescents are seeking gender transition procedures. The report concluded that there is "weak" scientific evidence regarding the safety of puberty blockers and opposite-sex hormones for children. It also found no clear evidence that childhood gender transitioning positively impacts mental health. Furthermore, it highlighted an increase in anxiety and depression rates among minors seeking these procedures.
Despite these findings, organizations such as the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the Endocrine Society continue to support puberty blockers and other gender treatments for children. WPATH's guidelines suggest removing age restrictions on these treatments, while AAP guidelines endorse prescribing puberty blockers and performing irreversible surgeries on minors.
In response to the Cass Review findings, last June, the American College of Pediatrics led a coalition of 17 health organizations and numerous healthcare experts urging WPATH, AAP, and the Endocrine Society to cease promoting social affirmation, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for young people.
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