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Jason Rafferty and transgender people

Jason Rafferty is an American child psychiatrist and pediatrician. Rafferty is lead author of a 2018 gender-affirming policy for transgender youth published by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Background

Jason Richard Rafferty was born on September 2, 1982 to Richard and Ann Friedland Rafferty and grew up in Greenland, New Hampshire. Rafferty graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover.

Rafferty earned a bachelor’s degree from Bates College in 2005, followed by a master’s degree and medical degree at Harvard Medical School in 2012. Rafferty did triple board postdoctorate residency in pediatrics, adult psychiatry, and child/adolescent psychiatry at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital.

Rafferty is a researcher in the Vista program at Bradley Hospital and medical director of the Gender and Sexuality Program at Hasbro Children’s. Rafferty is also a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior and pediatrics at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Rafferty serves as chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness, frequently reviewing policy and publications related to LGBTQ+ adolescent health.

Rafferty was lead author of the AAP’s 2018 policy statement, “Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents.” Rafferty works with and has co-authored papers with pediatrician Michelle Forcier.

Rafferty is routinely attacked by anti-transgender activists and hate groups, including James Cantor, Jesse Singal, Benjamin Ryan, Jennifer Block, Julia W. Mason, Bernard Lane, Lisa Selin Davis, Stella O’Malley, Megyn Kelly, Leor Sapir, “Eliza Mondegreen,” “Christina Buttons,” Genspect, Quillette, The Christian Post, Daily Wire, UnHerd, Alliance Defending Freedom, American College of Pediatricians, and Independent Women’s Forum.

Rafferty has also been targeted by the ex-trans movement, including lawsuits by Layton Ulery (aka Hannah Ulery) and Isabelle Ayala.

References

BarrĂłn-LĂłpez, Laura (June 12, 2023). Families with transgender children struggle to navigate wave of anti-trans politics. PBS News Hour https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/families-with-transgender-children-struggle-to-navigate-wave-of-anti-trans-politics

Morse, Barbara (March 24, 2022 ). Clinic at Hasbro Children’s Hospital addresses pediatric gender and sexual health. WJAR https://turnto10.com/features/health-landing-page/health-check-kids/pediatric-gender-sexual-health-transgender-children-hasbro-childrens-hospital-providence-rhode-island-american-academy-of-pediatrics

Smith, Timothy M. (December 21, 2021). What to know about gender-affirming care for younger patients. American Medical Association https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/what-know-about-gender-affirming-care-younger-patients

Borkowski, Rob (April 30, 2018). Five Questions With: Dr. Jason Rafferty. Providence Business News https://pbn.com/five-questions-with-dr-jason-rafferty/

(June 11, 2012). Jason Rafferty earns Doctorate from Harvard Medical School. Foster’s Daily Democrat https://www.fosters.com/story/news/education/2012/06/11/jason-rafferty-earns-doctorate-from/49599591007/

Staff report (July 25, 2006). Bates alum pursues medicine with Jack Kent Cooke Fellowship. Bates News https://www.bates.edu/news/2006/07/25/alum-medicine-fellowship/

Selected publications

Klein DA, Rafferty JR, Schvey NA (2022). Puberty Suppression in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adolescents: Timely Care for Optimal Outcomes. Transgender Health (Vol. 7, Issue 3, pp. 185–188). https://doi.org/10.1089/trgh.2020.0139

Rafferty J (2021). Childhood Abuse Among Transgender Youth: A Trauma-Informed Approach. Pediatrics (Vol. 148, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-050216

Rafferty J (2020). Still More to Understand in the Intersection Between Gender Diversity and Sexual Development. Pediatrics (Vol. 146, Issue 6). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-028514

Rafferty J (2019). Fertility Preservation Outcomes and Considerations in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth. Pediatrics (Vol. 144, Issue 3). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-2000

Rafferty, J. R., Donaldson, A. A., & Forcier, M. (2020). Primary Care Considerations for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth. In Pediatrics In Review (Vol. 41, Issue 9, pp. 437–454). American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). https://doi.org/10.1542/pir.2018-0194

Hodax, J. K., Wagner, J., Sackett-Taylor, A. C., Rafferty, J., & Forcier, M. (2020). Medical Options for Care of Gender Diverse and Transgender Youth. In Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (Vol. 33, Issue 1, pp. 3–9). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2019.05.010

Wagner, J., Sackett-Taylor, A. C., Hodax, J. K., Forcier, M., & Rafferty, J. (2019). Psychosocial Overview of Gender-Affirmative Care. In Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology (Vol. 32, Issue 6, pp. 567–573). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2019.05.004

Rafferty, J. (2019). Fertility Preservation Outcomes and Considerations in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth. In Pediatrics (Vol. 144, Issue 3). American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-2000

Rafferty J et al (2018). Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics (2018) 142 (4): e20182162. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2162 Authors: Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health; Committee on Adolescence; Section on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health and Wellness Michael Yogman, MD; Rebecca Baum, MD; Thresia B. Gambon, MD; Arthur Lavin, MD; Gerri Mattson, MD; Lawrence Sagin Wissow, MD; Cora Breuner, MD; Elizabeth M. Alderman, MD; Laura K. Grubb, MD; Makia E. Powers, MD; Krishna Upadhya, MD; Stephenie B. Wallace, MD; Lynn Hunt, MD; Anne Teresa Gearhart, MD; Christopher Harris, MD; Kathryn Melland Lowe, MD; Chadwick Taylor Rodgers, MD; Ilana Michelle Sherer, MD

Breuner CC, Mattson G, Breuner CC, Adelman WP, Alderman EM, Garofalo R, Marcell AV, Powers ME, Upadhya KK, Yogman MW, Bauer NS, Gambon TB, Lavin A, Lemmon KM, Mattson G, Rafferty JR, Wissow LS (2016). Sexuality Education for Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics (Vol. 138, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1348

Media

The Pell Center (March 1, 2019). Jason Rafferty on Story in the Public Square. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVEq45RtMxA

Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning (December 22, 2022). Ensuring Gender-Affirming Health Care for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQrCQNYJGC8

Resources

Brown University Researchers (vivo.brown.edu)

Brown Health (brownhealth.org)

Lifespan (lifespan.org)

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