BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador in a letter Tuesday challenged guidance from a major medical organization over its support for gender-affirming care for children and teens.

The letter, signed by Labrador and the attorneys general or officials from 20 other states, accused the American Academy of Pediatrics of potentially being out of compliance with state consumer protection laws by pedaling “misleading and deceptive” information.

He accused the organization of sacrificing the well-being of children by supporting “unproven treatments” that could cause “permanent damage.”

“It is shameful the most basic tenet of medicine — do no harm — has been abandoned by professional associations when politically pressured,” Labrador said in a statement.

The American Academy of Pediatrics last year reaffirmed a policy statement from 2018 that endorses “comprehensive, gender-affirming, and developmentally appropriate health care” for youth. Its policy is based off of available research and expert opinions from clinical and research leaders, according to the group, but noted that it’s a “rapidly evolving clinical field.”

The policy statement advocates for insurance plans that provide coverage for medical and psychological health care for young transgender and gender-diverse people, and for pediatricians to support policies and laws that protect trans youth from discrimination and violence.

It also recommends that education for medical providers include best practices to care for transgender youth. The organization also calls for the federal government and medical field to prioritize research to improve “evidence-based care” for trans and nonbinary youth.

Labrador said children with gender dysphoria need “love, support and medical care rooted in biological reality,” and that parents should be able to trust the medical guidance they receive isn’t “the latest talking point from a dangerous and discredited activist agenda.”

Idaho passed several laws in recent years that restrict health care for transgender and nonbinary youth and adults. Those include banning gender-affirming care for people under 18 and restricting public funds, such as Medicaid, from being used for transition-related care. Though some of those laws are still caught up in litigation, the U.S. Supreme Court for now allowed the prohibition on gender-affirming care for trans kids to take effect.

In his letter, Labrador disputed the group’s statements and its claim that puberty blockers are reversible. He called for the organization to explain how it drafts its policy statements and to provide evidence that puberty blockers are reversible.

“When it comes to treating children diagnosed with gender dysphoria, the AAP has abandoned its commitment to sound medical judgment,” Labrador wrote.

The American Academy of Pediatrics described puberty blockers as reversible but also said the effects of puberty suppression on fertility is unknown. Using cross-sex hormones to “allow adolescents who have initiated puberty to develop secondary sex characteristics of the opposite biological sex” can be partially reversible, the statement read, but can become irreversible once they are fully developed.

Most major medical organizations in the U.S. support gender-affirming care, which can refer to therapy, puberty blockers and hormone treatments. Some countries in Europe have restricted gender-affirming care for children after officials raised issues about insufficient scientific studies.

Transgender youth report a higher rate of suicide attempts, according to the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention nonprofit for LGBTQ+ youth. Trans and nonbinary people have told the Statesman access to gender-affirming care has been essential to their mental health and well-being.

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