Sweden has reportedly abandoned a plan to allow transgender genital surgery at age 15. Medical & legal experts had protested, driving media scrutiny & now the National Board of Health & Welfare has backflipped. svt.se/nyheter/gransk… @Sven_Roman @socialstyrelsen #policy | THREAD
The board's head Thomas Lindén cites the rapid increase in young patients with neuropsychiatric disorders in gender clinics, reports Swedish news program @granskning which had revealed a lack of evidence for official claims that lowering the age from 18 would prevent suicides.
The surge in patients may be over & @granskning reports that referrals fell 65% in the last quarter of 2019 at Stockholm's youth gender clinic. svt.se/nyheter/gransk… | From 2008-2017, the number of girls aged 10-19 treated for "gender dysphoria" in Sweden rose 1800%.
@granskning is the investigative journalism program of the public broadcaster @svt and made the widely watched Trans Train documentaries examining the "medical transition or suicide" scare tactic and risks of regret.
In the UK, where new referrals to the NHS youth gender clinic seem to have peaked in 2018-19, it's also the case that the public broadcaster's flagship investigative journalism program @BBCNewsnight joined in the media scrutiny (along with @thetimes @TheEconomist et al).
In Australia, new referrals at gender clinics such as @RCHMelbourne @childhealthqld were still rising in 2019, and the public broadcaster's investigations program @4corners ignores the global debate and showcases the "affirmative" medical treatment model. theaustralian.com.au/nation/four-co…
Still checking details from Sweden; minister for health and social affairs Lena Hallengren yet to comment. Article on internationally significant shift in progressive Swedish opinion about under-18 trans medicine theguardian.com/society/2020/f… | Parents' group genderchallenge.no
Hallengren reportedly says she's too busy with COVID to comment on the underage trans surgery issue. Journalist Lydia Wålsten says the minister has to take responsibility, and self-criticism is also lacking at the National Board of Health and Welfare. svd.se/hallengren-bor…
