The fact check of Rand Paul’s comparisons of gender reassignment surgeries

The fact check of Rand Paul’s comparisons of gender reassignment surgeries

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Dr. Levine, who previously served as Pennsylvania’s health secretary, is the first transgender person to be nominated for a Senate that can be confirmed, and if confirmed, he would be the highest-ranking person to ever serve in the federal government.

In his comments, which are widely circulated online, Paul spoke at length about the ailments of genital mutilation and said that it was “internationally recognized as a violation of international human rights”, and drew a comparison between operations and gender reassignment.

Paul claims that “most genital mutilations are not usually carried out by force, but, as the WHO notes, by a social convention.” He then argues that “American culture is now normalizing the idea that underage hormones can receive hormones to prevent their biological development from their secondary sexual characteristics.”

Facts first: Paul’s analogy is based on a misunderstanding of gender reassignment treatments and misinformation from unreliable sources. In his comparison, he uses data from the American College of Pediatricians, a group that many health experts say is on the wrong side of a number of controversial medical topics, particularly the issue of gender reassignment therapy.

Most medical professionals disagree with Paul’s comparison, including dr. Jason Rafferty, who wrote the policy statement of the American Association of Pediatricians on transgender and gender-segregated youth health care. The World Health Organization (WHO), which quoted the Kentucky senator, also distinguishes between the two practices, which set out the best practices for gender reassignment health care in 2017, while opposing all forms of female genital mutilation.
‘The result tries to match better [a trans young person’s] body with their sense of self rather than a process that causes [an] constant feelings of distress and harm throughout their lives, “Rafferty said, between gender reassignment surgeries and genital mutilation. In addition to the WHO, gender reassignment treatment is supported by the AAP, as well as the American Medical Association, among other mainstream medical organizations in the United States.
It should be noted that it is the AAP, not the ACP, which is the primary organization representing pediatricians in the United States. The ACP was established in 2002 on the AAP’s endorsement of married couples adopting children. Among other things, the ACP also supports conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth, a medically discredited practice.

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