Lisa, I am a retired pediatric pulmonologist and have been opposed to the American Academy of Pediatrics for decades. They are an advocacy group that has no interest and spends no money (of which they have a lot) on determining what their members really think. This started, as I remember, in the 1970s when they supported the "emancipatio…
Lisa, I am a retired pediatric pulmonologist and have been opposed to the American Academy of Pediatrics for decades. They are an advocacy group that has no interest and spends no money (of which they have a lot) on determining what their members really think. This started, as I remember, in the 1970s when they supported the "emancipation" of many teenagers from parental authority on the basis of sexual activity. This naturally led to the "right to abortion" for the pregnant teenage girl with specters of brutal parents demanding that their daughters carry these unwanted babies to term in harsh judgmental punishment. I regard the current practice in transgender clinics to be the single greatest medical malfeasance of my 40+ year career. The contrasting approach by our European colleagues could not be more revolting clearer.
The medical advocacy groups want to continue the tradition of allowing physicians to make the medical decisions, like abortion and early medical and surgical therapies for gender-confused youth. These are NOT just private medical choices. They have profound societal impact as the contagion of gender dysphoria proves. Sadly, too many pediatricians just line up with the AAP and take offense at anyone questioning "our organization". You would think that the disastrous consequences of the COVID-induced lockdowns on the emotional and academic lives of our young children would convince my fellow pediatricians to rise up against the AAP. I hear nothing but crickets!
It is beyond high time that all physicians understand that they need to be informed and engaged in key public health issues. The transgender clinics are the greatest medical malfeasance of my 40 year career. Each pediatric practice has few affected families which does NOT relieve the physicians from their social responsibilities. It is morally unacceptable to hide behind being busy.
It will take legal action against the AMA and AAP to produce any progress. I am very much against plaintiff's lawyers in general but, as I said before, this is the greatest medical malfeasance of our lifetimes. Too many physicians want to hide behind the principle that we should let physicians "do medicine", quite parallel to the abortion argument. The fact is that there are many issues where legal and moral considerations demand that we put restrictions on medical care decisions. I applaud your activism. Keep us posted.
Lisa, I am a retired pediatric pulmonologist and have been opposed to the American Academy of Pediatrics for decades. They are an advocacy group that has no interest and spends no money (of which they have a lot) on determining what their members really think. This started, as I remember, in the 1970s when they supported the "emancipation" of many teenagers from parental authority on the basis of sexual activity. This naturally led to the "right to abortion" for the pregnant teenage girl with specters of brutal parents demanding that their daughters carry these unwanted babies to term in harsh judgmental punishment. I regard the current practice in transgender clinics to be the single greatest medical malfeasance of my 40+ year career. The contrasting approach by our European colleagues could not be more revolting clearer.
The medical advocacy groups want to continue the tradition of allowing physicians to make the medical decisions, like abortion and early medical and surgical therapies for gender-confused youth. These are NOT just private medical choices. They have profound societal impact as the contagion of gender dysphoria proves. Sadly, too many pediatricians just line up with the AAP and take offense at anyone questioning "our organization". You would think that the disastrous consequences of the COVID-induced lockdowns on the emotional and academic lives of our young children would convince my fellow pediatricians to rise up against the AAP. I hear nothing but crickets!
It is beyond high time that all physicians understand that they need to be informed and engaged in key public health issues. The transgender clinics are the greatest medical malfeasance of my 40 year career. Each pediatric practice has few affected families which does NOT relieve the physicians from their social responsibilities. It is morally unacceptable to hide behind being busy.
It will take legal action against the AMA and AAP to produce any progress. I am very much against plaintiff's lawyers in general but, as I said before, this is the greatest medical malfeasance of our lifetimes. Too many physicians want to hide behind the principle that we should let physicians "do medicine", quite parallel to the abortion argument. The fact is that there are many issues where legal and moral considerations demand that we put restrictions on medical care decisions. I applaud your activism. Keep us posted.