ACPeds Submits Public Comment that Denounces Proposed HHS Gender Identity Rule That Radicalizes Medicine and Threatens Conscience Rights

The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) submitted a public comment in opposition to the proposed rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that would radicalize medicine and threaten medical conscience rights.

The proposed rule redefines discrimination on the basis of sex to include gender identity, sexual orientation, and “pregnancy-related conditions” such as elective abortion. In practice, medical professionals and health care entities objecting to performing procedures they find harmful and unethical such as abortions and transgender interventions, would be considered  discriminatory. Entities that receive federal funding would be subject to this new rule, once finalized, or lose their funding. The sixty-day public comment period from the time the proposed rule was published ended on October 3.

Dr. Quentin Van Meter, President of ACPeds released the following statement:

“This proposed rule is dangerous to patients and is a threat to the conscience rights of pediatricians and other health care professionals. Abortion and gender transition interventions are harmful to patients, and especially when done on minors. Forcing doctors to break their code of ethics and mutilate healthy organs in gender interventions or destroy human life via abortion is an affront to the practice of medicine. HHS’ final rule must respect, in practice, the rights of conscience of health care professionals.”

Dr. Andre Van Mol, board-certified family physician and Co-chair, Council on Adolescent Sexuality, for ACPeds said in his comment on this proposed Rule: “Gender/transition affirming health care is neither proven effective nor safe long term, does not reduce suicides, and is not the standard of care for gender dysphoria.”

The American College of Pediatricians is a national organization of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of children. For more information, please visit: www.acpeds.org.