Informed Dissent — Week of February 14, 2026

With Jamie Reed, Lauren Leggieri, and Cori CohnGuest: Dr. Patrick Hunter

This week on Informed Dissent, Jamie, Lauren, and Cori go back to the Detransitioner lawsuit trying to parse a standard of care when the whole field went off the rails. They discuss weekly headlines and are then joined by Dr. Patrick Hunter for a wide-ranging conversation on pediatric care, standards of practice, and medical ethics.

From Helen Lewis’s piece : “that she’d had her breasts removed at 16, only 11 months after first identifying as male. She had also been diagnosed with autism and had struggled with an eating disorder and anxiety.”

Ben Ryan’s coverage American Society Plastic Surgeons: New York Sun

Ben Ryan’s coverage American Society Plastic Surgeons: Hazard Ratio Substack

Guest Interview — Dr. Patrick Hunter

This week’s guest is Dr. Patrick Hunter, who joins the show for a detailed conversation about clinical practice, pediatric care, and evolving standards in youth gender medicine. You can follow Dr. Hunter on X @PatrickHunterMD

The discussion covers:

* Dr. Hunter’s professional background and clinical experience

* The role of pediatricians and primary care providers in evaluating distress in children

* Why a cautious, slow-moving approach has historically been standard in pediatric medicine

* The importance of careful assessment, watchful waiting, and risk–benefit evaluation when treating minors

* How physicians navigate standards of care amid changing evidence, institutional guidance, and public pressure

* The ethical responsibilities of clinicians working with children, including questions of informed consent, risk, and medical decision-making for minors

* The tension between urgency, patient distress, and the duty to avoid harm in pediatric care

The conversation also introduces key ethical questions surrounding pediatric medicine and clinical responsibility. Because of the importance and complexity of these issues, Dr. Hunter will return to Informed Dissent for a future episode focused specifically on medical ethics and standards of care.

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