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”.

  • Kyrgizion@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    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.

    • Wisely@feddit.de
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      8 months ago

      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.

      • harderian729@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        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?

        • Wisely@feddit.de
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          8 months ago

          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.

    • HopeOfTheGunblade@kbin.social
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      8 months ago

      In absolute fairness, this is what happened to David Reimer. It’s how we know that you can’t just force a gender on someone, even if you start when they’re an infant. Conversion therapy never ever helps, it only ever hurts, and trying to force trans kids to be cis is as bad as trying to force cis kids to be trans. Let people pick their own goddamn paths in life, it’s not that hard to keep your nose out of other people’s business (not you, the busybodies who have to “save the children” from well researched medicine and medical professionals with their common sense >.<)

        • HopeOfTheGunblade@kbin.social
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          8 months ago

          Yeah, it’s fucking awful. John Money was incredibly fucked up as a person, and even with all of the terrible that’s documented, there’s at least hints that it was even worse; that the surgeon who fucked up the circumcision did so, so that Money had a twin pair for his study. Using a cauterizing iron in that way and at those settings certainly wasn’t a standard procedure.