Despite major advances in Western medicine, the discipline continues to support therapies without robust evidence of safety and efficacy—Below, I highlight three relatively recent examples of approved interventions that were introduced without adequate oversight. The third example, alarmingly, continues to be widely endorsed.
1. The Intravaginal Sling (IVS)
(Referenced previously in GCN)
Developed in Australia during the 1980s, the IVS was intended to treat pelvic floor dysfunction in women post-childbirth. Promoted by the Australian Medical Association (AMA), it was rapidly adopted internationally. Over time, however, severe and irreversible complications began to emerge. The widespread harm led to a global medical scandal and billions of dollars in legal settlements. The IVS is now a cautionary tale of premature endorsement.
2. The U.S. Opioid Epidemic
In the 1990s, Purdue Pharma launched an aggressive campaign to market OxyContin, falsely claiming that opioids could manage pain without risk of addiction. This claim—something even early-stage medical students would question—was nevertheless approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The medical community followed suit. By 2022, opioid overdoses had claimed the lives of over 110,000 Americans annually. Purdue Pharma was ultimately fined $8 billion and declared bankrupt. The FDA, however, has faced little accountability.
3. The Affirmative Model of Gender Care
Of the examples listed, this may prove the most serious—primarily because it involves irreversible damage to vulnerable children. The so-called "affirmative" model of gender care is currently endorsed by the AMA, various Australian medical colleges including the RACP, and national paediatric hospitals. The model provides children (a cohort heavily burdened with mental health conditions) with puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and irreversible sterilising surgery.
Long-term studies of the ‘affirmed’ cohort demonstrate elevated suicides rates.
That's a wonderful development. I thought Dr Telfer might ride off into the sun set and keep on her course instead of reflecting that she might be wrong. Sincere yes, but sincerely wrong.
I hope AHPRA process the complaint responsibly and not just toss it into the too-hard basket. This is regardless of whether the complaint is valid or not. Also, you cannot expect someone whose career depends on believing something, to stop believing it, even in the light of new evidence.
Well if AHPRA sticks to form it should investigate her because it has certainly wasted thousands of hours of doctors’ time by investigating every frivolous claim presented to it.
So it should certainly investigate a serious claim backed by irrefutable evidence.
AHPRA is an agency of the Federal Government, and not an independent investigative statuary body. For as long as the Labor party is in government, whose policy position on supporting G.A.C. unequivocally in minors diagnosed with G.D., was adopted at their 2018 federal conference, AHPRA will default to being guided , in assessing any complaint, by that policy position which pertains and is binding across all Labor legal jurisdictions. Professor Telfer , for now, can likely rest easy. I expect AHPRA will not play any part in protecting future vulnerable minors from G.A.C.
Most unlikely Viviane to see a policy shift, given the Left “ progressive “ governments, throughout the West ,share support for gender identity ideology. The reasoning behind just how or why this has become a “ die in the ditch” political cause for the left, has been that transgender ideation provides a subset of the population which can claim the victimhood of an oppressed minority, while any challenge to the validity of the ideological basis of the claim , is immediately viewed as oppressive. As with Critical Race Theory, gender ideology is core Marxism. With the fall of the Soviet State, the base for division ( into oppressor or oppressed) on previous economic grounds, as outlined in the Communist Manifesto has shifted focus to the two , purposefully selected battlegrounds of Race and Gender. The caravan rolls on and is Labor DNA.
My ( much younger) namesake was my patient and a science graduate who practiced Shen Therapy, a branch of Chinese medicine which deals specifically with infertility in women. I was “ just” a regular GP who spent time as a Paediatric registrar, before deciding on general practice, hence the interest in the childhood gender dysphoria frolic which taken some of our profession off on an ideological tangent, captured by an ideological based quest , lead by social science, whose drivers might be regarded as being out of genuine misplaced compassion at best, or purposeful social activism at worst. I agree with Vincent’s opinion that this phenomenon will prove to be the biggest stain on our profession imaginative, given the vulnerability of the recipients of Gender Affirmative “care”
Hi Andrew. Thanks for your opinion on Labor policy. Your Substack page states you are a retired GP. I’m confused because a Google search found a Dr Andrew Orr specialising in wholistic treatment of women/couples with fertility issues. Not the same person?
Thank you, Mr Wilson.
Bad Medicine
Despite major advances in Western medicine, the discipline continues to support therapies without robust evidence of safety and efficacy—Below, I highlight three relatively recent examples of approved interventions that were introduced without adequate oversight. The third example, alarmingly, continues to be widely endorsed.
1. The Intravaginal Sling (IVS)
(Referenced previously in GCN)
Developed in Australia during the 1980s, the IVS was intended to treat pelvic floor dysfunction in women post-childbirth. Promoted by the Australian Medical Association (AMA), it was rapidly adopted internationally. Over time, however, severe and irreversible complications began to emerge. The widespread harm led to a global medical scandal and billions of dollars in legal settlements. The IVS is now a cautionary tale of premature endorsement.
2. The U.S. Opioid Epidemic
In the 1990s, Purdue Pharma launched an aggressive campaign to market OxyContin, falsely claiming that opioids could manage pain without risk of addiction. This claim—something even early-stage medical students would question—was nevertheless approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The medical community followed suit. By 2022, opioid overdoses had claimed the lives of over 110,000 Americans annually. Purdue Pharma was ultimately fined $8 billion and declared bankrupt. The FDA, however, has faced little accountability.
3. The Affirmative Model of Gender Care
Of the examples listed, this may prove the most serious—primarily because it involves irreversible damage to vulnerable children. The so-called "affirmative" model of gender care is currently endorsed by the AMA, various Australian medical colleges including the RACP, and national paediatric hospitals. The model provides children (a cohort heavily burdened with mental health conditions) with puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and irreversible sterilising surgery.
Long-term studies of the ‘affirmed’ cohort demonstrate elevated suicides rates.
That's a wonderful development. I thought Dr Telfer might ride off into the sun set and keep on her course instead of reflecting that she might be wrong. Sincere yes, but sincerely wrong.
I hope AHPRA process the complaint responsibly and not just toss it into the too-hard basket. This is regardless of whether the complaint is valid or not. Also, you cannot expect someone whose career depends on believing something, to stop believing it, even in the light of new evidence.
Well if AHPRA sticks to form it should investigate her because it has certainly wasted thousands of hours of doctors’ time by investigating every frivolous claim presented to it.
So it should certainly investigate a serious claim backed by irrefutable evidence.
AHPRA is an agency of the Federal Government, and not an independent investigative statuary body. For as long as the Labor party is in government, whose policy position on supporting G.A.C. unequivocally in minors diagnosed with G.D., was adopted at their 2018 federal conference, AHPRA will default to being guided , in assessing any complaint, by that policy position which pertains and is binding across all Labor legal jurisdictions. Professor Telfer , for now, can likely rest easy. I expect AHPRA will not play any part in protecting future vulnerable minors from G.A.C.
Might this not be the moment that Labor reviews its policy on GAC?
Most unlikely Viviane to see a policy shift, given the Left “ progressive “ governments, throughout the West ,share support for gender identity ideology. The reasoning behind just how or why this has become a “ die in the ditch” political cause for the left, has been that transgender ideation provides a subset of the population which can claim the victimhood of an oppressed minority, while any challenge to the validity of the ideological basis of the claim , is immediately viewed as oppressive. As with Critical Race Theory, gender ideology is core Marxism. With the fall of the Soviet State, the base for division ( into oppressor or oppressed) on previous economic grounds, as outlined in the Communist Manifesto has shifted focus to the two , purposefully selected battlegrounds of Race and Gender. The caravan rolls on and is Labor DNA.
No Viviane, my ( much younger namesake
My ( much younger) namesake was my patient and a science graduate who practiced Shen Therapy, a branch of Chinese medicine which deals specifically with infertility in women. I was “ just” a regular GP who spent time as a Paediatric registrar, before deciding on general practice, hence the interest in the childhood gender dysphoria frolic which taken some of our profession off on an ideological tangent, captured by an ideological based quest , lead by social science, whose drivers might be regarded as being out of genuine misplaced compassion at best, or purposeful social activism at worst. I agree with Vincent’s opinion that this phenomenon will prove to be the biggest stain on our profession imaginative, given the vulnerability of the recipients of Gender Affirmative “care”
Hi Andrew. Thanks for your opinion on Labor policy. Your Substack page states you are a retired GP. I’m confused because a Google search found a Dr Andrew Orr specialising in wholistic treatment of women/couples with fertility issues. Not the same person?
It always jars to see the very notion of ‘trans’ promoted as meaningful or real.
And a class action from many parents can't be far away. Sleep well Michelle.