Newly tabled legislation in Alberta threatens health and wellbeing of children and youth
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Ottawa – November 1, 2024 - Yesterday, the Alberta government tabled legislation “to prohibit minors from receiving certain types of gender-affirming care, require parents be notified when a child wants to use a different name or pronoun in the classroom, and also require that parents opt-in before their children are taught about sex in class.”
Children’s Healthcare Canada strongly opposes this legislation which will negatively impact the physical, mental and sexual health of children and youth in the province.
Canadians, including youth, have the right to make health decisions with support from their families and guidance from licensed health professionals, without political interference. This includes access to comprehensive, gender-affirming and developmentally appropriate healthcare. Peer-reviewed, published research shows gender-affirming care improves the health and overall well-being of youth when families and medical professionals work together to make healthcare decisions.
By providing comprehensive healthcare options, we uphold the dignity of youth exploring their gender identity and provide them with the best available information, evidence and where appropriate, psychological and medical interventions to thrive.
Sexual education is an important determinant of physical and mental health. Legislation that requires families to “opt-in” to sexual education will effectively limit access to essential information about youth sexual and physical health. Sex-ed empowers youth to make informed decisions about their bodies, their relationships and their sexuality. It fosters an understanding of respect, consent and communication necessary for healthy relationships and supports emotional health by helping youth understand their own feelings to navigate healthy relationships.
Children’s Healthcare Canada strongly encourages the government of Alberta to consult with healthcare professionals and youth before enacting the tabled legislation. As a community of world-class children’s healthcare delivery organizations, our mission is to advance excellence in health systems caring for children and youth. High quality care that leads to the best health outcomes is centred on the needs and expertise of youth, families or caregivers and specialized children’s healthcare professionals. We urge government officials to reverse course on this harmful legislation.
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Media Contact:
Marjolaine Provost, Senior Advisor Communications
613-897-2485
mprovost@childrenshealthcarecanada.ca
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