A new clinical trial in the UK investigating the use of puberty blockers in children is generating controversy, with critics raising ethical concerns about the safety and necessity of the research. The trial comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting's recent announcement of an indefinite ban on puberty blockers, a decision influenced by the Cass Review's findings.
The Cass Review discredited the use of puberty blockers, citing evidence that they offer no known improvements to the mental health of gender-confused children and may adversely affect bone density and brain development. Despite these findings, the government maintains that the trial is essential to gather "the evidence needed to decide whether they can be used as a safe and effective treatment."
Ethical Concerns and Criticisms
Critics argue that the trial is unethical, using children as "guinea pigs" to re-evaluate the safety of drugs already suspected to be harmful. Lucy Marsh from the Family Education Trust questioned the trial's justification, asking, "Haven’t enough children already been damaged, lives ruined? Do they really need that further evidence?" She also raised concerns about compensation for children harmed during the trial, asking, "Are they putting aside a compensation pot for a drug they know is harmful?"
Janice Turner, a columnist for The Times, described the use of puberty blockers on gender-confused children as "a reckless 13-year medical experiment." She highlighted the difficulty in selecting appropriate participants for the trial, given that approximately 85% of gender dysphoria cases resolve themselves at puberty, and clinicians cannot reliably predict which cases will persist.
Trial Design and Government Response
While specific details of the trial design have not been released, it is expected to involve children who agree to participate in a research study assessing the risks and benefits of puberty blockers. The government has defended the trial as a means to provide evidence-based guidance on the use of these drugs, emphasizing the need to determine their safety and efficacy.
Puberty blockers function by suppressing hormones and were initially developed to treat young children who began puberty prematurely. Their use in gender dysphoria has been controversial, with concerns raised about potential long-term effects on physical and mental health.
