Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
The Trump administration has ordered the National Institute of Health (NIH) to study the physical and mental health effects of undergoing a gender transition. The directive that detailed the information was shared by two current NIH staffers who have remained anonymous. Director of the NIH Mark Memoli says the NIH must study the impact of “social transition and/ or chemical and surgical mutilation” among children who have transitioned. Specifically, the White House demanded that the NIH study the “regret” and “de-transition” among children and adults who have transitioned.
The NIH must now decide the scope and design of this project, how it will be funded, and which researchers will conduct it. This plan is causing deep concern among many researchers and the LGBTQ+ community. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy at HHS under Joe Biden said, “What they’re looking for is a political answer, not a scientific one.” He went on to say, “That should be an alarm for everyone who cares about the scientific integrity of the National Institutes of Health.”
