Ordem dos Médicos proposes national study on youth gender transition care

The Ordem dos Médicos (OM) has proposed a national study, to be coordinated by the Direção-Geral da Saúde (DGS), to evaluate the care provided to young people undergoing gender transition. The proposal aims to characterize clinical results, long-term effects, and address the current lack of comprehensive national data.

Presented by OM president Carlos Cortes during a hearing with the Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Liberties, and Guarantees Commission, the initiative comes amid legislative discussions regarding gender transition, civil registry name changes, and the protection of children and youth. Cortes emphasized that the study should assess physical and mental health outcomes, quality of life, and adverse effects while maintaining strict confidentiality.

Cortes noted the difficulty of debating such significant decisions without complete, systematized, and publicly accessible national data. He maintained that the Ordem dos Médicos remains neutral amidst polarized views, asserting that political decisions should be informed by medical knowledge and that specialized teams must determine individual therapeutic indications based on clinical best practices.