HHS Recommends Therapy for Minors With Gender DysphoriaChildren who believe their gender is different from their biological sex should receive therapy for gender dysphoria, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on May 1.

“Psychotherapy is a noninvasive alternative to endocrine and surgical interventions for the treatment of pediatric gender dysphoria. Systematic reviews of evidence have found no evidence of adverse effects of psychotherapy in this context,” a 409-page report from HHS states. The report stated that “psychotherapy for adolescents with GD is a well-suited intervention, as it is intended to help patients develop self-understanding, engage with emotional vulnerability, and build practical strategies for managing distress.”

Procedures and drugs used in transgender treatments and surgeries “carry risk of significant harms,” including infertility, lower bone density, and heart disease, the report said. Procedures carried out by some medical institutions include breast removal. Drugs include cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers. (More)

Trump Warns Purchasers of Iranian Oil They Will Be SanctionedPresident Donald Trump threatened harsh sanctions against countries and people who buy Iranian oil and petroleum.

“ALERT: All purchases of Iranian Oil, or Petrochemical products, must stop, NOW! Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions,” he posted on Truth Social. “They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form.”

The United States has enacted multiple rounds of sanctions targeting Iran’s petroleum and oil sectors, especially as countries such as China have purchased oil from Tehran. On March 20, the Treasury Department announced it sanctioned what is known as a teapot oil refinery and its leader for buying and refining Iranian crude oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The entities that are part of this network are based in China’s Shandong Province, Hong Kong, and other places. (More)