DebunkThis
Debunking pseudoscience, myths, and spurious hogwash since 2010.
We are an evidence-based Reddit/Lemmy community dedicated to taking an objective look at questionable theories, dodgy news sources, bold-faced claims, and suspicious studies.
Community Rules:
Posting
Title formatting on all posts should be "Debunk This: [main claim]"
Example: "Debunk This: Chemicals in the water are turning the frogs gay."
All posts must include at least one source and one to three specific claims to be debunked, so commenters know exactly what to investigate.
Example: "According to this YouTube video, dihydrogen monoxide turns amphibians homosexual. Is this true? Also, did Albert Einstein really claim this?"
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Commenting
Always try to back up your comments with linked sources. Just saying "this is untrue" isn't all that helpful without facts to support it.
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Links
Suggested Fediverse Communities
• RFK Jr. Watch @lemm.ee - Discuss misinformation being spread by antivaxxer politician, Robert F Kennedy Jr.
• Skeptic @lemmy.world - Discuss pseudoscience, quackery, and bald-faced BS
• Skeptic @kbin.social - The above, just on Kbin
• Science Communication @mander.xyz - Discuss science literacy and media reporting
Useful Resources
• Common examples of misleading graphs - How to spot dodgy infographics
• Metabunk.org - a message board dedicated to debunking popular conspiracies
• Media Bias / Fact Check - Great resource for current news fact checking + checking a source's political bias
• Science Based Medicine - A scientific look at current issues and controversies
• Deplatform Disease - A medical blog that specifically counters anti-COVID-vaccine claims
• Respectful Insolence - David Gorsky's blog on antivax shenanigans, politics, and pseudoscience
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That is at least half-true. E.g. Sweden did mostly stop using hormones with minors (iIrc under 16). Namely Karolinska - one of the most reputable university clinics in the world - did and he country's health advisory board published restrictive guidelines. Reluctant really is a good word to describe the current situation, puberty blockers are still used, but only in few cases. Afaik there's a few similar developments in other countries but I am not sure it's Europe in general.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230208-sweden-puts-brakes-on-treatments-for-trans-minors
A study from Karolinska (well at least the press release for it) also complains a lack of data:
https://news.ki.se/systematic-review-on-outcomes-of-hormonal-treatment-in-youths-with-gender-dysphoria
But I'd say the lack of data is to be expected. The number of people seeking gender affirming care skyrocketed in recent years. So we obviously don't have long-term data that applies very well. People who already came out as transgender 30 years ago may not tell that much about people who do now.
So we unfortunately have a situation where we have to make decisions under uncertainty. But that doesn't change that not doing anything can be worse than doing something you're not 100% will work.
Great answer, thank you!
I was surprised to read that Sweden legalized gender reassignment treatments way back in 1972! In that country, at least, it has been realtively socially acceptable for some time already.
The politicization of the issue appears to have really muddied the waters, but at least it's now being studied properly.
We've had that in Germany for a long time as well. The first "transsexuals law" was passed in 1980.
The issue is that back then it was about clear cases. I.e. adults who had been diagnosed a long time ago and who had undergone surgery. Hence the legalities merely followed medicine and the "if you have a penis, you're a man" conclusion still worked perfectly.
The current culture war isn't really around those "classic" transgender people. Even transphobic people J.K.Rowling accept these people with their new gender. But now we have a lot of people who change their gender without surgery and people who change it at a much younger age. That makes issue less clear cut.
Anyway, yes, the politics are a huge problem and indeed muddying the water here. Making medical decisions outside a doctor's office leads to problems.