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  • 2022-12-08 (xsd:date)
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  • Does an American Girl Book Give Children Advice on Gender-Affirming Care? (en)
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  • In early December 2022, a book in an American Girl company-branded series of self-help guides — Smart Girl's Guide: Body Image — drew the ire of anti-trans activists. Published in February 2022, its publisher explains that: Several conservative pundits and media outlets including Fox News, The New York Post, and The Daily Mail, reported negatively on the book because it provided young children advice on gender-affirming care. This book is also the subject of a separate fact check about American Girl's purported advocacy of puberty blockers. While the book does not advocate any particular treatment, it does provide advice and tools to help kids discuss gender-related issues — including transitioning — with doctors and others. The relevant section reads: The book also provides a list of resources for children who lack an adult they trust to discuss gender issues. In response to criticism, the American Girl company defended the book, explaining to TMZ that: Several studies support the assertion that gender-affirming care helps trans and non-binary youth's mental health outcomes. This is, it bears mentioning, a position held by U.S. government health agencies, as well. A study published in April 2021 and based on data derived from nearly 20,000 participants, for example, found that gender-affirming surgeries were associated with a 42% reduction in psychological distress and a 44% reduction in suicidal ideation when compared with transgender and gender-diverse people who had not had gender-affirming surgery but wanted it. A study published in February 2022 similarly found that gender-affirming medical interventions, which included puberty blockers, were associated with lower odds of depression and suicidality over 12 months. Because the book provides information and resources about these topics, it is accurate to state that the book, at least in part, gives children advice on how to ask for or receive gender-affirming care. For that reason, the claim is True. (en)
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