The Future of Youth Gender Medicine Seminar
Proceedings eBook
On Friday, 14 March 2025, a landmark seminar titled The Future of Youth Gender Medicine was held at New South Wales Parliament House. The event brought together a distinguished panel of seven speakers, each representing a field critical to discussing youth gender medicine, including clinical and academic psychiatry, psychology, evidence-based medicine, and the legal system.
The Proceedings of this seminar, now published in written form, offer an in-depth examination of the current models of care, emerging concerns, and future directions in this complex and controversial area of clinical practice.
The seminar focused on offering an alternative to the widely adopted gender-affirming model, instead presenting a model of care grounded in compassion, caution, and evidence-based practice. This alternative approach emphasises a holistic and exploratory framework aimed at helping distressed youth and their families navigate the often difficult and emotionally charged terrain of gender identity.
Topics included:
How Did We Get to Where We Are Today? A/Professor Peter Parry A Review of the Physiology and Side Effects of Puberty Blockers and Cross Sex Hormones Prof John Whitehall The Landscape of Gender Affirming Services in Australia Dr Andrew Amos The Post-Cass Landscape: evidence, debates and shifting Rationales Dr Alison Clayton Psychotherapy for Gender Dysphoria in Adolescents: A Comprehensive and Ethical Approach Professor Dianna Kenny Rebalancing Diagnosis and Clinical Treatment: The Contribution
of NAPP to Clinical Discourse on Youth Gender MedicineProfessor Philip Morris AM Legal Issues in Treatment of Minors Emeritus Professor Patrick Parkinson AM
The Proceedings of this seminar offer a crucial contribution to the ongoing debate around youth gender medicine. They present a deeply considered, interdisciplinary critique of the prevailing medical approach and suggest a more reflective, ethically grounded path forward. As the clinical, ethical, and legal implications of gender medicine continue to evolve, the insights presented in these Proceedings will serve as a valuable resource for practitioners, policymakers, and the wider community.
