PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Florence Ashley
TI  - Flawed reasoning on two dilemmas: a commentary on Baron and Dierckxsens (2021)
AID  - 10.1136/medethics-2021-107647
DP  - 2022 Sep 01
TA  - Journal of Medical Ethics
PG  - 637--638
VI  - 48
IP  - 9
4099  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/48/9/637.short
4100  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/48/9/637.full
SO  - J Med Ethics2022 Sep 01; 48
AB  - A recent paper by Teresa Baron and Geoffrey Dierckxsens (2021) argues that puberty blockers and hormone therapy should be disallowed before adulthood on prudential and consent-related grounds. This response contends that their argument fails because it is predicated on unsupported premises and misinterpretations of the available evidence. There is no evidence that a large proportion of pubertal and postpubertal youths later discontinue medical transition. Meaningful assent is a viable and commonly accepted alternative to meaningful consent in paediatric bioethics. And finally, the primary purpose of transition-related interventions is to actualise youths’ gendered self-image, not treat an underlying mental illness.