First Do No Harm Southern Africa vs. transgender people

First Do No Harm Southern Africa (FDNHSA) is an anti-trans “voluntary association” based in South Africa. FDNHSA is opposed to affirmative models of trans healthcare.

FDNHSA states that “children, adolescents, and vulnerable adults experiencing gender-related distress should not be labelled as ‘transgender.’ This labelling pathologises their distress and risks unnecessary medicalisation.”

Background

The FDNHSA website was launched in 2024. Members include three physicians:

• Allan Donkin
• Janet Giddy
• Reitze Rodseth

Their activity consists primarily their website and a few opinion pieces and letters to editors.

“Trusted organisations & sources”

FDNHSA recommends the following anti-trans resources:

• Athena Forum (athena-forum.eu)
• Beyond Trans (beyondtrans.org)
  • Beyond Trans Parent’s Support (beyondtrans.org/support-for-parents)
• Children of Transitioners (childrenoftransitioners.org)
• Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender (can-sg.org)
• Critical Therapy Antidote (criticaltherapyantidote.org)
• Do No Harm (donoharmmedicine.org/about)
• Human Gay Male (humangaymale.com)
• LGB Alliance International (lgbinternational.org)
• LGB Courage Coalition (lgbcouragecoalition.substack.com)
• Our Duty (ourduty.group)
• Parents of Desisters (parentsofdesisters.info)
• Post Trans (post-trans.com)
• ROGD Boys (rogdboys.org)
• Sex Matters (sex-matters.org)
• Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine (segm.org)
• Stats for Gender (statsforgender.org)
• Thoughtful Therapists (thoughtfultherapists.org)
• Trans Widows Voices (transwidowsvoices.org)
• Women’s Declaration International (womensdeclaration.com)

Their resources page lists articles and media by ither anti-trans activists, including “J. Cohn,” Zhenya Abbruzzese, Jo Bartosch, Sallie Baxendale, Hilary Cass, Miriam Grossman, Mia Hughes, Sarah C. J. Jorgensen, Riittakerttu Kaltiala, Stephen B. Levine, Pamela Paul, Sami-Matti Ruuska, and Florian Zepf.

They also have two dedicated resource pages:

• promoting the Cass Review
• attacking the Yale Integrity Project, which lists its critics:
  • article by Kathleen McDeavitt, “J. Cohn,” and Stephen B. Levine
  • article by C. Ronny Cheung, Zhenya Abbruzzese, Elaine Lockhart, Ian K. Maconochie and Camilla Kingdon
  • three posts (1 | 2 | 3) by Jesse Singal

Selected publications

Donkin, A., Rodseth, R., & Giddy, J. (2026). FDNHSA’s response to KL Dunkle et al.’s ‘Upholding clinical integrity and South African relevance: A defence of the SASOP position statement on the care of transgender and non-binary youth.’ South African Journal of Psychiatry, 32(0). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v32i0.2602

• reply to Dunkle, K., Lynch, I., Msweli, S., Addinall-van Straaten, R., Brouard, P., de Beer-Procter, J.-L., Madlala, N., McLachlan, C., Muller, M., Pickstone-Taylor, S., Pillay, M., Spitaels, A., Tomson, A., & de Vries, E. (2026). Locally relevant, ethically urgent: Defending SASOP’s stance on transgender and non-binary youth. South African Journal of Psychiatry, 32. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v32i0.2543

Donkin, A., Rodseth, R., & Giddy, J. (2025). A call for SASOP to review their position on the care of ‘transgender and non-binary youth.’ South African Journal of Psychiatry, 31(0). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v31i0.2381

• Donkin, A., Rodseth, R., & Giddy, J. (2026). Corrigendum: A call for SASOP to review their position on the care of ‘transgender and non-binary youth.’ South African Journal of Psychiatry, 32. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajpsychiatry.v32i0.2677

Giddy, J., Donkin, A, & Rodseth, R. (2025). ‘Gender affirming healthcare’ is not what the family physician needs to know. South African Family Practice, 67(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v67i1.6061

• Giddy, J., Donkin, A, & Rodseth, R. (2026). Corrigendum: ‘Gender-affirming healthcare’ is not what the family physician needs to know. South African Family Practice, 68(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v68i1.6328

Donkin, Allan; Rodseth, Reitze; Giddy, Janet (July 21, 2024). Examining the Cass Review: Impacts on gender dysphoria treatment in South Africa. Mail & Guardian https://mg.co.za/thought-leader/2024-07-21-examining-the-cass-review-impacts-on-gender-dysphoria-treatment-in-south-africa/

Giddy, Janet, Donkin, Allan; Rodseth, Reitze (May 19, 2024). OPINION | The Cass Review on gender-affirming care: SA’s medical community now at a crossroads. TimesLIVE https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times-daily/opinion-and-analysis/2024-05-19-opinion–cass-review-provides-guidance-on-gender-affirming-care-sas-medical-community-now-at-a-crossroads/ republished May 30, 2024 at https://www.news24.com/life/wellness/opinion-the-cass-review-on-gender-affirming-care-sas-medical-community-now-at-a-crossroads-20240528

First Do No Harm SA (February 19, 2024). Compassionate, evidence-based care for gender-dysphoric children and adolescents is paramount. Daily Maverick https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-02-19-gender-dysphoria-compassionate-evidence-based-care-is-key/

First Do No Harm SA (January 28, 2024). A call on SA medical professionals to heed evidence on child and adolescent gender distress. Daily Maverick https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-01-28-gender-distress-call-on-medical-professionals-to-heed-evidence/

Resources

First Do No Harm Southern Africa (fdnhsa.org)