Trans youth will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers at NHS England gender identity clinics in a new “blow” to gender-affirming healthcare.
Puberty blockers are a type of medicine that prevent puberty from starting by blocking the hormones – like testosterone and oestrogen – that lead to puberty-related changes in the body. In the case of trans youth, this can delay unwanted physical changes like menstruation, breast growth, voice changes or facial hair growth.
On Tuesday (12 March), NHS England confirmed the medicine, which has been described as “life-saving” medical care for trans youth, will only be available to young people as part of clinical research trials.
The government described the move as a “landmark decision”, Sky News reported. It believed such a move is in the “best interests of the child”.
Best interest of the child my ass. I knew and know so many trans kids that suffer(ed) so much from such awful transphobic laws.
That’s just purely disgusting and will have horrible consequences for so many people. I am so sorry for every trans kid in England that suffers from this. :(40 years of Hollyweird / Music Industry / Olympics trainer agents pumping their youngest stars full of this shit in order to squeeze an extra year or two of revenue out of them? Fine. Cool. Good. No problems detected.
Some trans youth have a legitimate medical need for deferring puberty, while they come to terms with their gender and sexuality? Fuck you. Prohibited. Go directly to jail.
its almost like the weirdo hollywood guys are in league with the weirdo religious guys.
By way of the weirdo military guys, most commonly.
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Honey. We know our shit and we often know it young. I had to go through puberty knowing as I was experiencing it every moment was taking me further and further into a body horror I knew I would never come to terms with. Other trans people my age are very much the same and you know what? A lot of us live with deep lifelong regrets knowing that we have less options to travel the world or exist comfortably in public because of that puberty we knew bone deep right from the get go we never wanted.
Being trans isn’t subtle. It screams at you, gnaws at your insides how wrong everything is. Particularly when pre-puberty you are able to perfectly pass… And then every minute puberty slowly takes that away from you by inches like a slow bleeding wound until you ache to have what you know you will never effortlessly experience again.
Ignorance fucking doomed me. Yours will do nothing but doom others.
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Yeah… Is pushing 40 considered young now or do I have to be fucking senile before I count? Take your paternalistic shit and cram it right back up your ass where it came from.
God damn Tories. What do they know about “best interests of the child” that a doctor doesn’t already know? Less than nothing is the answer.
If a young person is suffering from gender dysmorphia to the point of considering gender affirmation procedures, then I think it’d be in their best interest to not exacerbate that condition. Delaying the onset of puberty via puberty blockers until they’re at the age where that can legally consent to such procedures isn’t exactly novel.
Even if they eventually decide not to undergo those procedures, all you habr to do is take them off the blockers and they’d undergo puberty as normal. There’s not all that much downside for an awful lot of upside for those in need.
What you fail to take into account is the pink haired lesbian man haters dragging kids into alleyways and stopping them from having puberty. This is a totally real thing. A child can’t even walk to school without being accosted by pink haired lesbian man haters armed with syringes and a copy of a Dworkin book.
Even if they eventually decide not to undergo those procedures, all you habr to do is take them off the blockers and they’d undergo puberty as normal. There’s not all that much downside for an awful lot of upside for those in need.
Is that actually true? Do those medications actually permanently prevent puberty after a certain point?
No, barring some other condition, puberty resumes once you stop using puberty blockers. There are increasing risks of side effects when staying on puberty blockers for more than a couple years, so it’s usually a temporary measure to give children with gender dysphoria more time to explore their identity without subjecting them to the irreversible effects of puberty yet. As a result, doctors won’t allow a patient to stay on puberty blockers permanently (barring outliers where it would actually be safer to do so, e.g. because of cancer risk associated with sex hormones). There are two typical outcomes:
- The patient determines that they would like to transition medically, and will transition from puberty blockers to hormone replacement therapy according to their goals. This essentially allows them to replace the pubertal effects typically associated with their birth sex with something else depending on the regimen.
- The patient determines that they don’t want to transition medically, and stops puberty blockers without starting hormone replacement therapy. At this point, puberty begins/resumes on its own as usual.
There are side effects last I looked, people like to pretend their aren’t, even fucking ibuprofen has side effects.
So idk, it depends on how bad maybe?
Yes, there are side effects. They vary depending on the length of treatment (generally patients are not allowed to stay on them indefinitely to mitigate this) and the medication used, but puberty blockers have been used for ~40 years now and we have a good understanding of the risks. GnRH agonists are the most common type of puberty blocker used today, and the typical side effects are:
- Hot flashes
- Gynecomastia
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Decreased libido and erectile function
These side effects generally end once treatment stops, whether switching to hormone replacement therapy or stopping all gender-affirming treatment. These side effects are typical of low sex hormone levels in general, and are generally annoyances that can be managed rather than major risks that are likely to harm the patient long term. It’s also worth noting that some of these are seen as neutral or even positive to some patients - e.g. patients who were assigned male at birth and are interested in feminizing treatment often consider gynecomastia and decreased erectile function as positive effects.
When puberty blockers are continued for longer periods of time, there are additional risks which grow with the duration of the treatment:
- Reduced bone density, which can increase risk of or worsen osteoporosis
- Metabolic issues, which can worsen weight gain or diabetes in particular
- Having puberty delayed by any means tends to result in a child growing taller than they would otherwise
These risks are more serious, which is why puberty blockers are not prescribed indefinitely. For gender affirming treatment, puberty blockers are generally prescribed for up to two or three years, depending on local regulations and the patient’s tolerance of the treatment. After this period, patients have the option of either continuing gender affirming treatment with hormone replacement therapy (so that they can experience a different puberty than the one typically associated with their birth sex), or stopping treatment and allowing puberty to run its course as usual.
It’s also worth noting that puberty blockers are not considered in a vacuum - the risks are considered against the risk of allowing puberty to continue as usual. For children with gender dysphoria, puberty is often a severely traumatic experience. This can cause or worsen depression and suicidality, and can leave a transgender person with sexual characteristics they do not want and will have to treat later with riskier and/or more intense forms of treatment like surgery. The risks of puberty blockers are comparatively mild, which is part of why the side effects are regarded as safe for transgender patients.
Lastly, I’ll also note that all of this treatment involves mental health professionals as well. While adults in some regions can choose to start gender affirming treatment on their own without needing a formal diagnosis, treatment for children requires much more work and dedication. Typically, a minor who wants to begin gender affirming treatment for gender dysphoria will need:
- Consent from at least one parent
- A diagnosis or letter of support from a mental health practitioner who’s seen them as a patient
- A doctor or endocrinologist who can prescribe the medications
- Ongoing check-ups while they’re undergoing treatment, to assess both their physical health (physical exams, blood work to check hormone levels and organ function) and mental health (sessions with a mental health practitioner to make sure that the treatment is actually benefiting their mental health and consistent with their identity)
They have side effects. Permanent puberty block isn’t one of them. We’ve had these drugs on the market since the '80s, and they treat more than just trans youth. We have a pretty good idea on how puberty progresses with them.
Even if they eventually decide not to undergo those procedures, all you habr to do is take them off the blockers and they’d undergo puberty as normal. There’s not all that much downside for an awful lot of upside for those in need.
Oh, don’t worry. Statistically, people who start puberty blockers almost always go on to receive hormone therapy as adults, so you don’t really have to worry about people deciding not to continue. It’s definitely* because of the medicine that they go on to do HRT, and not because the kids that are getting through the bullshit to actually start blockers are the kids who are almost 100% guaranteed to be trans. Don’t think too hard and it’ll all just go away.
seen doctors force sex change to children that lead to the child killing themselves in adulthood. Doctors are just people and people are all the same
edit: mods that remove this are biased and pushing an angenta
Good thing puberty blockers aren’t a fucking sex change. Even if your almost certainly bullshit comment was true, it still as relevant to puberty blockers as birth control pills are to abortion; related, but a completely different function.
Calm down. Why are you getting so mad because he made a rational comment?
This fierce tribalism needs to stop.
Bullshit. Source or it didn’t happen.
I’ve seen this claim many, many times, but I have yet to see my very first news article (from an actual source!) confirming it.
Even if there was a cherrypicked case out there, the vast majority of suicides are by those who are denied medical treatment and/or suffer discrimination.
By forcing puberty, politicians are forcing these teens to face a future where for example they have to live as a woman with a male sounding voice or beard. Needing more expensive and painful treatments to partially reverse such as facial feminization surgery. That is life full of discrimination and didn’t have to be.
the vast majority of suicides are by those who are denied medical treatment and/or suffer discrimination.
Do you have sources comparing the suicide rates of those denied trans treatment and those granted it at an early age?
I am only aware of smaller studies such as this that are about generalized mental health. This is definitely something that needs more funding.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35212746/
I have worked with and met hundreds of people who transitioned. There is an extensive problem of suicidal ideation amongst people who are denied medical treatment for one reason or another. It is almost universal that they are suffering stress, depression, anxiety, and/or PTSD directly resulting from the effects of going through a puberty they didn’t want, and the resulting discrimination from that.
I have never seen a case of someone who merely had puberty delayed before transitioning regretting it. I can’t say that it never happens, as everyone is their own person. While I do personally know people who have died after being denied medical coverage for transition.
It makes sense to strive towards filtering out those who don’t need medical intervention, just don’t completely block those who actually do need it. Cutting funding for medically necessary treatment is also a form off blocking since many can’t afford it otherwise.
Transition surgeries have among the lowest regret rates for any kind of surgery. They are life saving.
Where did you get this information?
On the off chance that you’re actually asking, there have been studies that have shown the regret rate for transitioning is less than 1%.
Here’s an article about a recent study which tracked people up to 23 years post-transition, showing median regret as 0 out of 100.
Now, you might be thinking to yourself “but that’s just one study, with around 200 participants, and the results were so uniform it caused issues with the statistics. Maybe it’s wrong.” Well, here is a meta-analysis of 27 additional studies, with almost 8,000 participants, which also shows regret rates are <1%.
Hope that helps.
Please read the other comment below that details the regret rate for transition related surgeries. Unfortunately my browser is unable to translate that article, but one bad case doesn’t not outweight the many, many good ones.
The article mentions that there are likely many more cases of regrets, that the numbers are underreported, and that regret doesn’t typically set in straight away, but typically after 5-10 years
Even assuming it is true,
- would that person kill themselves regardless or even earlier?
- doctors are people sure, but at least they have medical training, and supposed to focus on the interest of the patient, as opposed to politicians, who are focused on satisfying their constituents.
did i say we should allow politicians to choose? i swear most people here try to push their agenta one way or another. People replying saying things that dont exist in my comment. My reply was about letting each person choose their path when they are old enough to make that choice but it turned into fashion, countles stories of parents that want to have the “im progressive” stamp so they push their children to change gender, why not let them be? if they ask to change gender then you can talk about it and have specialists talk to the child to make sure that this is really what it wants, but letting doctors be the one to suggest it is crazy to me, if the child doesn’t initiate that conversation.
seen doctors force sex change to children that lead to the child killing themselves in adulthood
Why do transphobes lie all the fucking time? Like, is there something wrong with your brain preventing you from not lying?
Why do you people always argue in bad faith?
Detransitioning is real and a lot of people end up regretting the decisions that you pressure them into making.
Regret after Gender-affirmation Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prevalence
Results: A total of 27 studies, pooling 7928 transgender patients who underwent any type of GAS, were included. The pooled prevalence of regret after GAS was 1% (95% CI <1%–2%). Overall, 33% underwent transmasculine procedures and 67% transfemenine procedures. The prevalence of regret among patients undergoing transmasculine and transfemenine surgeries was <1% (IC <1%–<1%) and 1% (CI <1%–2%), respectively. A total of 77 patients regretted having had GAS. Twenty-eight had minor and 34 had major regret based on Pfäfflin’s regret classification. The majority had clear regret based on Kuiper and Cohen-Kettenis classification.
Conclusions: Based on this review, there is an extremely low prevalence of regret in transgender patients after GAS.
Detransitioning is a different claim than doctors forcing children to transition you dumbass. Nobody’s saying detransitioning isn’t a thing
the guy was forced from his parents due to doctors advice
I’ve seen space vampires enslave circus clowns in a plot to corner the world’s market on instant ramen, too.
Source: Trust me bro.
Agreed. That’s a very rational take to have on these forums.
Most people here get mad at you if you don’t show unwavering, blind support for their tribe.
I’ve seen space vampires enslave circus clowns in a plot to corner the world’s market on instant ramen, too.
Source: Trust me bro.
Doctors can be manipulated to support an agenda, too.
They used to classify homosexuality as a mental disorder, for example.
They also used to recommend lobotomies as treatment for unruly wives.
Do you think there are no instances of doctors being manipulated or corrupt in the current day? They of course have a profit incentive to get as much business as possible. It’s why you seen cosmetic surgeons lie through their teeth to manipulate vulnerable people into giving them money.
Doctors still have a lot more experience of what works than Conservative politicians do. And if you took “it must be impossible for any doctor ever to abuse this power for corrupt ends” as the standard for approving a treatment, no treatments would ever get approved.
All right wingers want for Christmas is increased suicidality of anyone unlike themselves
TERF island strikes again
Christo-fascists run too many gov’ts
Oh, great. Vulnerable children and desperate parents searching for prescription medication on the black market. What could go wrong?
Mission accomplished.
Right wing conservatives can go pound sand. Talk about the government pushing itself between a doctor and patient care.
A landmark bullshit decision.
Right wing twats trying their best to destroy as many children as they can
Fact: Lots of things happening in the UK for those who do not know:
Why was the Tavistock experiment allowed to go on for so long?
Hopefully, this will be the end for the cult of trans, which reels in impressionable young people when they aren’t sure who they are
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/columnists/2023/02/15/why-tavistock-experiment-allowed-go-long/
Tavistock transgender clinic shut down by NHS after review finds it is ‘not safe’ for children
Young people who believe that they are trans will be moved into regional centres which will take a more ‘holistic’ approach to treatment
“The decision is a response to the interim Cass Review, which warned that medics in the Tavistock had felt “under pressure to adopt an unquestioning affirmative approach” to gender identity rather than going through the normal process of clinic assessment with young people.”
PS: Do not shot the messenger. I was not the one who carried the investigations nor did the abuse as per described in the articles.
Time to start some really large clinical trials.
Which wouldn’t be a bad idea anyway, tracking long-term outcomes.
GnRH was discovered in 1971, and has been available since the '80s. We have a pretty good idea of their long term effects. There could be more about effects on transgender youth in particular, but everything done so far shows it’s safe.
I’m reading about migraines, joint pain, hot flashes/sweating, decreased libido (which I would expect to take place during treatment) persisting for months after discontinuing use of GnRH. I’m also reading that it can worsen diabetes and osteoporosis?
Idk, to say that it’s without risk is false I think.
Do yourself a favour and don’t read the possible side effects on the back of the box of paracetamol you bought from the supermarket.
Yeah I actually do my utmost to avoid taking Acetaminophen.
How many of these side effects could just be the result of starting puberty after stopping the medication?
I genuinely don’t know, but is osteoporosis common as a result of puberty?
Edit:
later puberty was linked to lower bone mineral density, and that both are risk factors for osteoporosis
Also a risk when taking birth control, the question is how severe and can you recover after completing puberty.
Idk how I feel about kids taking birth control either, is that a normal thing??
If you don’t want kids getting pregnant, yes.
We know so little about the actual process of gender dysphoria. Hormone blockers don’t solve or fix anything, but have been used simply because it’s the only thing that does something. Essentially bringing a blunt instrument to the problem.
Considering the harmful nature of hormone blockers, I’m for not prescribing puberty blockers to youth. However, only so long as more research is put into it.
Can you point me to the harmful nature of them?
I dont want to speak to the social aspect of this issue, but I have to imagine that blocking puberty has some crazy side effects. How long has this medical technology been in use and where can I find studies about it? Again, I know this is sensitive and I am just curious from a biological standpoint.
blocking puberty has some crazy side effects.
I’m a provider at a children’s hospital. I specialize in orthopedics and rehabilitation, so I mostly deal with the musculoskeletal system. I have colleagues who would be able to provide a much better and more in depth explanation, but I will do my best.
Even in orthopedics “hormone blockers” are used fairly frequently. For example the same drugs that people use to transition are utilized to moderate the epiphyseal fusion of growth plates. Puberty is also frequently delayed to moderate the hormone levels of juvenile cancer patients. Or even more increasingly common, to halt the symptoms of precocious puberty in young women.
The vast majority of juveniles prescribed hormones to delay puberty are for non gender affirming care like cancer. The problem with moderating what medical providers can and can’t treat is that you are assuming you know more about medicine than the a person who went to medical school.
You may be trying to protect kids, but what ends up happening is an interference of medical care, and usually not the type you intended. If hormone drugs become more monitored, providers may be hesitant, or have a more difficult brine prescribing it.
The dangers of delaying puberty are very small, when you stop the prescription puberty begins again. Usually the only side effect is excessive growth due to a delay if epiphyseal fusion. In regards to gender affirming care, I will remind people that their providers are looking at total outcomes. Meaning they are factoring in things like the higher potentiality of self harm and suicide.
Thank you for your reply! This is good information
That’s why I browse Lemmy. Thank you.
refers to self as provider
Definitely not a doctor.
Provider is actually the preferred terminology in most hospitals nowadays. It helps transition away from physicians being the “captain of the ship” to a more team based medical approach.
It also helps boost patient confidence in the entire medical team, especially in places like where I work, where there are a lot of residents and PAs doing the bulk of the patient care.
The AMA literally says the opposite:
https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/a-23-omss-resolution-5.pdf
The only people pushing “provider” are administrators who would prefer to muddy the waters with regards to who providers care, and the midlevels who benefit.
Lol, Idk. Do people go to medical school for the title, or to actually help people?
I like the team approach, and I think referring to everyone as a provider is especially good for my residents, some of which will occasionally think they know more than a PA-C who’s been here for 30 years, just because they don’t have an MD after their name.
The only doctors that care about being called doctor are residents who think too highly of themselves, or the dinosaurs who hate patient care and only got into the field for the prestige.
You can feel about it however you’d like, but the term provider was purposely used to justify different care without patients being aware.
It’s not a matter of a 30 year PA vs a resident, experience certainly matters. But I take issue when you claim medical knowledge because you’re a “provider”, and especially because you work in a pediatric hospital. The role of a pediatric endocrinologist and an ortho PA almost don’t overlap, and the background schooling almost don’t either.
That’s not to say I’m particularly qualified either (it’s outside my specialty) but you infer that you’re qualified to comment when you and I both know, frankly, you’re not.
used to justify different care without patients being aware.
Lol, you really think a PA is going to provide different care than an MD? What, an MD is going to prescribe PT and bracing when a PA is going to … chop their leg off?
But I take issue when you claim medical knowledge because you’re a “provider”, and especially because you work in a pediatric hospital.
Did I not predicate my statement with my lack of speciality? What exactly did I say that was false? If you have problems with the information I stated then say so. But, if all you are doing is appealing to an entirely assumed authority, go kick rocks.
The role of a pediatric endocrinologist and an ortho PA almost don’t overlap, and the background schooling almost don’t either.
What? I mean endocrinology doesn’t refer the majority of our patients, but it’s a significant amount… Also, the only information I gave over endocrinology, directly pertains to my field.
but you infer that you’re qualified to comment when you and I both know, frankly, you’re not.
Lol, I have no idea how qualified you are, and you have no idea what my qualifications are. However, based on your statement I highly doubt you actually work in patient care. Seems like you’re pretending to be a character of a doctor from a 00’s medical drama.
I know therapists and other medical professionals. There is a push to let people see non physicians directly instead of needing a physician to refer you to the person who can obviously help you more.
Yeah really. Trust the science. Trust the doctors. NHS says it and it will be so.
How long has this medical technology been in use and where can I find studies about it?
Decades. It was there when I was a kid, so like 20 years ago. And it wasn’t new medical technology at the time.
There’s some studies that found that bone density could be affected, but considering the suicide rate of trans people I’m going to say that’s a tiny sacrifice for the assurance that you can have the body your brain wants to be in.
The side effects and risks are worth it when you only get one shot at puberty. If you don’t transition as a pre-pubescent teenager, you will never “pass” as well, especially as a transwoman.
A really good example of how successful you can be if you’re early is Corey Maison. There are cases of transition regret of course, but they’re still a very small percentage of the total, and that percentage is reduced by puberty blockers giving young people more time to figure out themselves and their own bodies, and to make the choice that’s right for them.
Yeah, that’s the gravity of things that people don’t seem to understand. Yes, there can be unwanted side effects from puberty blockers, but they are relatively minor. On the other hand, one possible side effect for people that are willing to brave those puberty blocker side effects but aren’t allowed to do so is suicide. This is unfortunately often life or death.
I have to imagine that blocking puberty has some crazy side effects.
Sort of the joke. Puberty is what has the crazy side effects.
It has very few side effects and is completely reversible.
Discovered in 1971, and introduced for medical use in the 1980s.
“Where can I find studies about it”?
Have you tried perhaps, idk, a search engine? How do I have a feeling that even if I were to show you the science which agrees that they are safe medications, you’d have an “argument” in which you criticise the info without even reading it.
People perfectly well know how to look for things online, and when they pretend not to… well, it smells fishy. Fishy, like sealions.
You seem really unpleasant. Good luck out there, friend.
You seem really pretentious.
I hope you get over that. I can give you some contacts if you need a good therapist, buddy.
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Experimentation… Using drugs tried and tested for decades?
Okay, but we don’t know what effect it will have on some nosey TERF moms in Sussex who have strong opinions based on an all caps post on Facebook.
That is not what I am saying or implying, as I do not have any information on the subject. Please do not put words in my mouth.
Well played, two steps backwards and one step forward. As usual.
Go fuck yourself, Im not taking any steps in any direction, I was asking for information so that I can further educate myself on a difficult topic.
If I fuck myself they’ll think I’m half transgender and take away my rights
I wonder what the statistics are of “trans youth” figuring out they’re actually not trans as they get older.
welcome to TERF island
