İstanbul University defends academics after criticism over 'gender dysphoria' study

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After the publication of an article on gender dysphoria in adolescents in an international peer-reviewed journal, İstanbul University has come under scrutiny from pro-government media outlets and social media accounts, which have targeted 11 academics from the university.

The incident was reported by the Yeni Şafak newspaper with the headline "Changing sexes of 22 minors through hormone treatment and surgery," asserting that these actions were against the law and medical ethics.

The article titled "Endocrinological Approach to Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria: Experience of a Pediatric Endocrinology Department in a Tertiary Center in Turkey" was published in March in the "Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology," an international peer-reviewed journal.

Prof. Dr. Tufan Tükek, the Dean of İstanbul University's Faculty of Medicine, expressed his discontent on social media, defending the academics and the university's practices.

"At İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, there has been a comprehensive committee evaluating and treating individuals with gender-related issues since 2017. This committee includes psychiatrists, pediatric and adult endocrinologists, urologists, forensic experts, and gynecologists."

"Preparatory measures"

"Patients referred from various hospitals are assessed by this committee, and after obtaining parental consent, treatments are carried out based entirely on legal and medical justifications. These procedures are not gender reassignment but rather preparatory measures during the transitional period until the age of 18.

"In conclusion, as with many university hospitals, legal treatment processes are implemented based on medical justifications and committee decisions. A detailed investigation will be conducted regarding the matter in question, and comprehensive information will be shared with the public.

"The mastectomy cases mentioned in the study are unfortunately instances where surgeries were performed externally before the patients came to our institution. Our committee acts within the bounds of science, medicine, and the law to make the most informed decisions in collaboration with families.

"Targeting scientific committees that engage in such work on a scholarly platform in our country will only bolster those conducting unethical practices in clandestine settings. Gender dysphoria is unfortunately a challenging issue for some families, and scientific committees are the appropriate venue for finding solutions."

The İstanbul Chamber of Physicians also voiced its concern about the situation. "Our colleagues have once again been targeted by the Yeni Şafak newspaper due to articles published in an internationally peer-reviewed journal," it said in a written statement.

"Scientific responses are provided to scientific articles. No colleague or media outlet has the right to turn this scientifically approved publication, which underwent ethical committee approval and lacks any scientific objections, into sensational material using a language aimed at inciting public outrage. In the face of this organized attack, we stand by our colleagues." (VC/VK)