England’s National Health Service (NHS) has banned puberty blockers for children 16 years old and under over negative and potentially irreversible side effects.
The NHS now admits what many critics of transgender treatments have been saying all along: that puberty blockers have irreversible and damaging effects on children, including sterility.
“Puberty blockers (gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogues) are not available to children and young people for gender incongruence or gender dysphoria because there is not enough evidence of safety and clinical effectiveness,” the NHS website now reads.
BREAKING: Children will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers at gender identity clinics, NHS England has confirmed.https://t.co/TjX9ErOK5s pic.twitter.com/mvXgJ7chaC
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 12, 2024
The website goes on to state that “these hormones cause some irreversible changes” in adolescence such as breast development (in the case of oestrogen) or deepening of the voice (in the case of taking testosterone).
“Long-term cross-sex hormone treatment may cause temporary or even permanent infertility,” it adds.
Health Minister Maria Caulfield praised the NHS’ decision.
“We have always been clear that children’s safety and wellbeing is paramount, so we welcome this landmark decision by the NHS,” Caulfield said.
“Ending the routine prescription of puberty blockers will help ensure that care is based on evidence, expert clinical opinion and is in the best interests of the child.”
This comes just days after leaked files from the leading transgender advocacy group World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) revealed members knowingly administered cancer-causing hormone treatments and improvised treatments without meeting rigorous medical standards.
The emails also showed trans patients were unaware of permanent side effects of the “trans” treatments they’d received, such as infertility and inability to achieve orgasms.
Transgender advocacy groups predictably are freaking out over the NHS’ decision.
Transgender youth charity Mermaids called the announcement “deeply disappointing” and accused the NHS of “failing trans youth.”
“Those currently prescribed puberty blockers won’t see any changes to their treatment, and this is a pause on prescribing – not a ban,” a spokesperson claimed.
“It’s also important to note that puberty blockers can be just one possible part of a young person’s gender journey. However, this news still comes as a blow and will deeply affect our communities.”
Hopefully more governments will come to reason and similarly ban these harmful hormone treatments for children.
