President Donald Trump last month issued an executive order, “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” that promises to protect children from “destructive and life-altering procedures.” On the contrary, the executive order is full of inaccuracies and is cruel to children, adolescents and young adults (and their families) who suffer from gender dysphoria. To cite a few examples from the executive order:

The order begins by characterizing gender-affirming care as “a series of irreversible medical interventions.” However, the great majority of gender-affirming care interventions for young people — social transition (changes in name, clothing, etc.) and the prescribing of puberty-blocking agents — are reversible.

The order claims to end reliance on “junk science.” Gender-affirming care is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, as well as the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association. Gender-affirming care guidelines have also been developed, based on peer-reviewed medical evidence and endorsed by the Endocrine Society, the worldwide society of 18,000 hormone experts.

The order urges Congress to create legislation to allow parents whose children have been “mutilated” by gender-affirming care to sue. Unfortunately, the order takes away the rights of the far greater number of parents who strongly desire gender-affirming care for their children who are suffering from gender dysphoria.

The order refers to the “countless children [who] soon regret that they have been mutilated.” Numerous studies have demonstrated that the great majority of young people who have received gender-affirming care are pleased with the care that they have received. Furthermore, there are many studies that demonstrate that gender-affirming care protects young people with gender dysphoria against significant mental health problems.

This executive order draws from Trump’s campaign rhetoric, which suggested that gender-affirming care was sudden and impulsive. According to Trump’s statements, a young person could simply go to school and return home having received a gender-affirming care medical intervention. Nothing could be further from the truth: I have cared for youth with gender dysphoria and I have referred many of these young people to subspecialist physicians who specialize in gender-affirming care. The process of prescribing medical interventions is an appropriately slow, deliberative and multidisciplinary process, involving the parents as well as the teenager.

Are there controversies and disagreements in the care of gender dysphoria in teens? Certainly, as is true for many medical conditions. Medical science treats controversies and disagreements in clinical care by continuing to treat patients, while simultaneously conducting clinical studies to determine the best approach to emerging medical questions. Banning gender-affirming care does not help to answer questions about how to provide the best care to these patients.

As an advocate for adolescent health and welfare, I strongly oppose this executive order.

Dr. Oscar Taube is chair of the Committee on Adolescent Health of the Maryland chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is an adolescent medicine specialist and lives in Baltimore.