Who Are the Authors of the HHS Report on Gender Dysphoria?

Noticeably missing from the 400-page reportopens in a new tab or window on gender dysphoria issued by HHS late last week were the names of any of its authors.

In its press releaseopens in a new tab or window announcing the report, HHS stated that the names of the contributors "are not initially being made public, in order to help maintain the integrity of the process."

A White House fact sheetopens in a new tab or window on the report noted that "eight distinguished scholars" worked on the report, which was mandated by a Jan. 28 executive order and given a 90-day reporting deadline.

However, several scientists interviewed by MedPage Today said it was unusual not to have named authors on a report of this scope, and it's a major departure for any scientific review to not have authors to hold accountable.

Even the Cass Reviewopens in a new tab or window -- the large-scale review undertaken by the U.K.'s National Health Service that took years to put together -- was named for its lead author, pediatrician Hillary Cass, MD. It also involved the publication of four peer-reviewed papersopens in a new tab or window that listed several authors in BMJ's Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Paul Offit, MD, of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, likened the release of the report to the revamp of covid.gov, which "used to be a source of information about COVID" but now boldly proclaims "Lab Leak: The True Origins of COVID-19."

"Now it's just these declarations which they believe are scientific truths," Offit told MedPage Today. "And who are the authors of that? We have no idea, they just put it out there. The same thing is true here."

Offit said the authors of the gender dysphoria report "should stand up in front of the American public and answer questions."

None of the major medical organizations that have drafted guidances on gender-affirming care were asked for their input on the report. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society all confirmed to MedPage Today that they were not consulted for the report.

The Jan. 28 executive order specifically calls out WPATH's Standards of Care Version 8opens in a new tab or window (SOC-8), stating it was "not drafted based on scientific evidence but on political considerations."

Scott Leibowitz, MD, an adolescent psychiatrist who worked in three multidisciplinary gender clinics and co-authored the SOC-8 -- and who is currently a WPATH board member -- told MedPage Today that the lack of authorship points to the "double standards being applied to adolescent gender care compared to other areas of medicine, both in terms of the relevance of providers with significant clinical expertise and the factors that inform the decision-making process."

Academics and clinicians with substantial clinical expertise in gender care are "reflexively dismissed as biased, their clinical experience is ignored, and alternative reports that lack a transparent process (or identity of authors, as in this case) are accepted as gospel in the name of science," Leibowitz said.

He explained that it's typical for clinical decisions and guidelines in medicine to be informed by several factors, including the scientific literature. "However, in the field of adolescent gender care, there is an inappropriate expectation for the literature to exclusively dictate clinical decision-making, despite the fact that other areas of medicine also have limitations to their evidence base," he said.

He said the HHS report mischaracterizes the WPATH SOC-8, which doesn't mandate medical intervention for adolescents. Instead, it "emphasizes the importance of doing a comprehensive mental health assessment of the adolescent in order to determine the appropriate sequence of treatment, which may include psychotherapy."

"The anonymously-authored HHS report extensively mischaracterizes the guidelines, attempts to paint clinical and academic experts in the field as biased, and stokes fear in society by insinuating providers do not discuss risks with their patients despite the report lacking any mention of benefits," Leibowitz told MedPage Today.

"Referring to care as experimental and omitting the benefits of care demonstrates the clear bias that the anonymous authors in this report have," he added. "The irony should not be lost on the general public that those who claim the research is insufficient are the same individuals who are eliminating research funding and halting scientific advancement. These decisions affect the healthcare of all youth and their families, not just those who are transgender."

>> The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society all confirmed to MedPage Today that they were not consulted for the report.

You weren’t consulted because yer a bunch o’freaking woke KOOKS!!!

2 posted on 05/06/2025 1:34:21 PM PDT by Nervous Tick (Hope, as a righteous product of properly aligned Faith, IS in fact a strategy.)

They want the names so they can burn down the house

3 posted on 05/06/2025 1:36:04 PM PDT by mfish13 (Elections have Consequences.)

I’m hazarding a guess that leftists want author details so they can professionally smear them and doxx them and their families as well?

Liebowitz should be at GITMO

It was authored by “experts.” We all know you can’t argue with “experts,” so it is settled science.

This will be one of the advantages of AI—leftists cannot doxx it.

7 posted on 05/06/2025 1:57:28 PM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)

The leftists created the culture of “science by intimidation”.

Who wants to walk into that buzzsaw?

8 posted on 05/06/2025 1:59:47 PM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)

I could summarize gender dysphoria in a paragraph or two max using common sense including a few recommendations to solve it and lower the the cause gender dysphoria drastically.

9 posted on 05/06/2025 2:09:47 PM PDT by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)

You want us to stand up and take credit? Hell no those people are crazy!”

10 posted on 05/06/2025 2:11:24 PM PDT by Mr. K (no consequence of repealing obamacare is worse than obamacare itself.)

The Pink Mafia makes its threats.

11 posted on 05/06/2025 2:56:41 PM PDT by Maelstrom (To prevent misinterpretation or abuse of the Constitution:The Bill of Rights limits government power)

This isopens in a new tab or window sickening. If we haveopens in a new tab or window no clue who theyopens in a new tab or window are, how can we judgeopens in a new tab or window their credibility?

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