“This report represents a long overdue return to scientific integrity.” – Dr. Joseph Varon.
The Independent Medical Alliance (IMA), a national network of frontline physicians and researchers, today praised the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services following the release of its peer-reviewed study Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices. The report concludes that puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical sex-rejecting interventions carry significant and long-term harms for minors, and that these risks have been minimized or overlooked by major medical associations.
HHS’s findings align with the evidence long presented by the IMA and others, warning that these procedures often result in irreversible physical and psychological damage, including infertility, compromised bone health, and endocrine disruption.
“This week, HHS has confirmed what frontline physicians have been documenting for years,” said Dr. Varon, President and Chief Medical Officer of the IMA. “Children were placed into experimental chemical and surgical pathways without the kind of rigorous safety evidence that should be required for any medical intervention, let alone one that can permanently change a young person’s body. This was not transparent, compassionate care. It was an abandonment of medical responsibility.”
The HHS report was released through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and includes contributions from experts across medicine, psychology, bioethics, and philosophy. Its authors conducted one of the most comprehensive assessments to date of the published literature and clinical practices surrounding pediatric gender transitioning.
“The release of this report is an important correction for American healthcare,” Dr. Varon added. “Physicians must follow evidence, not ideological pressure. We commend HHS for confronting the harms that have been ignored and for placing transparency and the welfare of children back at the center of medical decision-making.”
