The Science Is Clear: Affirming Care Is Protective, Not Abusive

Written by: *Jerry L. Mize, MA, MEd, NCC

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is a time when we’re reminded to protect children from harm. But this year’s Presidential Proclamation (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/national-child-abuse-prevention-month-2025/) does the opposite. Cloaked in the language of child protection, it attacks transgender youth and their families by labeling gender-affirming care as abuse and “evil.” This is a position completely untethered from evidence and medical consensus.

The proclamation describes gender-affirming care as “sexual mutilation” and falsely claims that it destroys children’s health and happiness. It goes so far as to frame families and medical providers who support trans youth as threats to child safety. That’s not just misleading; it’s dangerous.

In reality, gender-affirming care is evidence-based, medically necessary, and often life-saving. It includes developmentally appropriate mental health services, social transition support, and, for some, medical interventions such as puberty blockers or hormones (Salvetti et al., 2024). All of this is provided through careful clinical assessment and informed consent. These interventions are endorsed by every major medical organization in the United States, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association (Georges et al., 2024; Budge et al., 2024). And they work.

Studies consistently show that access to gender-affirming care reduces suicidality, depression, and self-harm. For example, youth who received puberty blockers and hormones were 60% less likely to report depression and 73% less likely to experience suicidal ideation or self-harm compared to those who did not receive care (Salvetti et al., 2024). Moreover, regret is rare. A study by Bustos et al. (2021) found that fewer than 1% of transgender youth expressed any regret over the medical transition, with lack of familial, social, and societal support being the most endorsed reasoning.

The claim that gender-affirming care constitutes abuse has no scientific basis. On the contrary, experts in child maltreatment have clearly stated that denying this care can amount to medical neglect and emotional abuse (Georges et al., 2024). When youth are prevented from accessing affirming care, often due to state laws or misinformation, their mental health suffers. Family support and access to care are the strongest protective factors we have.

Critics sometimes point to calls for further research or international disagreements, like those referenced in recent scientific debates. And yes, like any field of medicine, continued study is essential. But that doesn’t negate what we already know: gender-affirming care significantly improves the quality of life for many transgender youth (Budge et al., 2024; Trans Youth Project, 2024). Even critiques of research methodology, such as those raised by Gorin (2024), ultimately argue for refining care, not banning it.

Let’s be honest about what’s happening here. When policymakers ban this care, criminalize providers, and vilify parents, it’s not about protecting children. It’s about using fear and misinformation to score political points. It is then our children who pay the price.

If we truly want to prevent child abuse, we must reject this harmful rhetoric and instead stand with the youth, families, and clinicians who are already doing the hard, evidence-based work of helping kids thrive.

The references below are only a few that I decided to pull to show scientific support in this write-up. Oh, and while we’re here, I’ll leave aside, for now, the part where a government document uses “God’s design” to justify public policy, even as it accuses others of “indoctrination.” The irony writes itself.

References

Budge, S. L., Abreu, R. L., Flinn, R. E., et al. (2024). Gender affirming care is evidence based for transgender and gender-diverse youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 75(6), 851–853. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.09.009

Bustos, V. P., Bustos, S. S., Mascaro, A., Del Corral, G., Forte, A. J., Ciudad, P., Kim, E. A., Langstein, H. N., & Manrique, O. J. (2021). Regret after gender-afrmation surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery-Global Open, 9(3), e3477.

Georges, E., Brown, E. C. B., & Cohen, R. S. (2024). Prohibition of gender-affirming care as a form of child maltreatment: Reframing the discussion. Pediatrics, 153(1), e2023064292. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2023-064292

Gorin, M. (2024). What is the aim of pediatric “gender-affirming” care? Hastings Center Report, 54(3), 35–50. https://doi.org/10.1002/hast.1583

Salvetti, B., Gallagher, M., Schapiro, N. A., & Daley, A. M. (2024). Prioritizing gender-affirming care for youth: The role of pediatric-focused clinicians. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 38(2), 253–259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2023.12.006

Tordoff, D. M., Wanta, J. W., Collin, A., Stepney, C., Inwards-Breland, D. J., & Ahrens, K. (2022). Mental health outcomes in transgender and nonbinary youths receiving gender-affirming care. JAMA Network Open, 5(2) e220978.

Trans Youth Project. (2024). Transgender youth rarely regret gender-affirming care. JAMA Pediatrics. Summary retrieved from AJN News Brief, February 2025.

National Child Abuse Prevention Month, 2025 [Proclamation; April 3, 2025]. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/national-child-abuse-prevention-month-2025/​

*While all writings of Inner Odyssey Blog are specifically of the opinion of their respective author and not a direct endorsement from other organizations, I want to particularly emphasize that these reflect the independent opinions of the author based on the evidence as of the date of this post. This post does not automatically reflect the views of organizations and institutions with which the author is affiliated.