Opinion | ‘It’s Trying to Erase Our Existence’: What We Heard This Week

“It’s trying to erase our existence.” — Delia Sosa, a trans alternate delegate to the medical student section of American Medical Association, discussing the criminalization of gender-affirming care.

“You don’t solve jigsaw puzzles by randomly throwing pieces in the air until they accidentally fall into place.” — Peter Bossaerts, PhD, of University of Cambridge in England, about the effects of “smart” drugs on complex problem-solving.

“I wouldn’t prescribe it to an otherwise healthy person.” — Emily McDonald, MD, MSc, of McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, discussing oseltamivir (Tamiflu).

“[Physicians and scientists] are definitely getting attacked not just for what they’re saying, but who they are.” — Vineet Arora, MD, MPP, of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, discussing online harassment targeting doctors and scientists.

“The study doesn’t actually give a stamp of approval to run off and take testosterone.” — Bradley Anawalt, MD, of the University of Washington in Seattle, commenting on the results of the TRAVERSE trial presented at the Endocrine Society annual meeting.

“They appear to disambiguate rather than cause confusion.” — Colin Halverson, PhD, of the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, discussing hospitalists using emojis within a hospital’s clinical texting system.

“This is unfortunate.” — Kimberly Kho, MD, MPH, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, on the barriers women who may benefit from mifepristone (Mifeprex) for adenomyosis-related symptoms might face.

“Infections could be important risk factors for dementia.” — Alberto Ascherio, MD, DrPH, of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, commenting on a preprint paper linking shingles vaccination with dementia risk.

“This is exciting and a novelty for human medicine.” — Martin Wabitsch, MD, PhD, of Ulm University Medical Center in Germany, on the success of high-dose leptin treatment on reversing severe, early-onset obesity in two children carrying rare genetic variants.