Speaker: Moti Gorin, Ph.D., MBE, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Colorado State University

Abstract: Treatment for pediatric gender dysphoria is controversial, especially in the United States, where the debate is politically polarized. Proponents of hormonal and surgical interventions claim there is strong evidence supporting their use and that it is unethical to deprive patients of the option to access them. Critics point to a weak evidence base, established by systemic reviews of the evidence carried out by researchers in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Canada, and go on to claim that the interventions do more harm than good. Other reserchers maintain that the strength of the scientific evidence is not the most important issue, and what really matters is the right of the patients to make decisions about their own bodies. This presentation will cover some of the central topics of debate in this field of medicine, with a focus on the relationship between clinical evidence and medical ethics.