'A direct attack': Alberta's trans health lead protests new guidelines
CTV
Some doctors say the Alberta government is ignoring science and doesn't understand the journey trans youth go through with its newest policy proposals.
Some doctors say the Alberta government is ignoring science and doesn't understand the journey trans youth go through with its newest policy proposals.
Alberta's trans health specialist lead, Dr. Ted Jablonski, says the proposed policies from the UCP government "have no scientific merit."
"There's nothing based on evidence-based medicine. This is arbitrary, this is political and it's really going to get in the way of us doing medical care for trans youth," he told CTV Morning Live Calgary in an interview on Friday.
Jablonski, who is also a clinical professor at the University of Calgary's department of family medicine, says when youth meet with his team, they begin a process that may or may not include medical intervention at any point.
"Youth can look at their gender identity, can have a journey, can socially transition without any medical intervention whatsoever," Jablonski said.
"If we are looking a medical intervention, puberty blockers can be crucial at the right time when they are deployed and this is with family support, this is with psychological support – this is multi-disciplinary."
He says the government stopping trans youth from using puberty blockers before 15 years old, could "handcuff them medically."