ATLANTA (June 22, 2022) – The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), CEO John W. Robitscher, MPH, issued the following statement today:

“The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) applauds President Biden’s Executive Order that supports transgender youths’ access to healthcare and that bans the use of federal funds for conversion therapy (a widely discredited and harmful practice used to change a person’s gender identity or sexuality).

NACDD believes in the right of all people to receive gender-affirming care that is respectful of their gender identity and decries state efforts to disrupt or interfere with medical decisions between a physician and a patient.

The American Academy of Pediatrics broadly defines ‘gender-affirming care’ as ‘developmentally appropriate care that is oriented toward understanding and appreciating the youth’s gender experience.’ The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry all recommend gender-affirming care as the most appropriate method for supporting overall health among transgender and nonbinary youth.

Medical and public health research confirm that gender-affirming care is an important determinant of health outcomes. For example, according to the Trevor Project, nearly half of all trans kids seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year; however, having an affirming family and receiving gender-affirming care are protective against suicidality.