In England, caution is called for on trans identity among young people
(London) This long-awaited report represents a turning point in England. A paediatrician on Wednesday called for a change in the approach to the care of transgender youth, advocating the utmost caution in the absence of "reliable data" on hormone treatments.
The study was commissioned by the NHS in 2020 in response to a sharp increase in the number of children and young people questioning their gender and coming to care services to seek help.
A former head of the closed Tavistock specialist public institution told Times Radio that children had sometimes been prescribed puberty blockers "after one or two appointments". The team "got seduced by transgender ideology," Bell said.
The phenomenon has led to high-profile legal battles in recent years and the decision to close the only specialized public facility, after damning testimonies of caregivers under pressure and rushed treatment. It needs to be replaced by regional centres.
The topic of trans identity is very divisive in the UK. The report's author, pediatrician Hilary Cass,
deplores "an exceptional toxicity of the debate".
"There are few other areas in healthcare where professionals are so afraid to openly discuss their opinions, where people are vilified on social media, and where name-calling echoes the worst bullying behaviour. This must stop," she wrote.
In her 400-page report, the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health on Wednesday set out 32 recommendations, which are expected to shape new NHS services in England for children and young people
questioning their gender identity or with gender dysphoria.
DisappointmentThe document calls for a comprehensive approach that must "include screening for neurodevelopmental status, including autism spectrum disorders, and mental health assessment."
The report urges health services to exercise "extreme caution" when prescribing hormones. There "should be a clear clinical rationale for providing hormones" before the age of majority.
For 17-25 year olds, according to the report, each regional centre should have a follow-up service "to ensure continuity of care and support (for young people) at a potentially vulnerable stage of their journey".
For prepubescent children, an "even more cautious" approach is needed. Those who change their pronouns or first names at a young age may feel even more stress with the onset of puberty and therefore the urgency to take hormone treatments.
At the root of the debate, Hilary Cass worries about "the poor quality of published studies" and the lack of "reliable data" on transidentity among young people: "Research has abandoned" young people.
A former head of the closed Tavistock specialist public institution told Times Radio that children had sometimes been prescribed puberty blockers "after one or two appointments". The team "got seduced by transgender ideology," Bell said.
Last month, the NHS in England announced that it would no longer prescribe puberty blockers to minors who wish to change their gender.
Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the report: "We need to be extremely careful ... because we don't know the impact" of puberty blockers or hormone treatments.
The report made headlines, and particularly pleased the conservative press. "Finally the voice of reason on trans dogma," says the Daily Mail.
The government and the conservative media have been very critical of the demands of transgender groups. The authorities have also recently recommended safeguards for schools dealing with children who request to be identified as gender other than their own.
London has blocked a plan adopted in Scotland that aimed to make it easier to recognise gender change from the age of 16.
In the introduction to the report, Hilary Cass addresses the young people she met who asked for
access to puberty blockers and hormones as soon as possible.
"I am aware that you must be disappointed," she wrote. But "it's not an option for you to make life-changing decisions without being able to weigh the risks and benefits of them now and in the long term."
The study was commissioned by the NHS in 2020 in response to a sharp increase in the number of children and young people questioning their gender and coming to care services to seek help.
A former head of the closed Tavistock specialist public institution told Times Radio that children had sometimes been prescribed puberty blockers "after one or two appointments". The team "got seduced by transgender ideology," Bell said.
The phenomenon has led to high-profile legal battles in recent years and the decision to close the only specialized public facility, after damning testimonies of caregivers under pressure and rushed treatment. It needs to be replaced by regional centres.
The topic of trans identity is very divisive in the UK. The report's author, pediatrician Hilary Cass,
deplores "an exceptional toxicity of the debate".
"There are few other areas in healthcare where professionals are so afraid to openly discuss their opinions, where people are vilified on social media, and where name-calling echoes the worst bullying behaviour. This must stop," she wrote.
In her 400-page report, the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health on Wednesday set out 32 recommendations, which are expected to shape new NHS services in England for children and young people
questioning their gender identity or with gender dysphoria.
DisappointmentThe document calls for a comprehensive approach that must "include screening for neurodevelopmental status, including autism spectrum disorders, and mental health assessment."
The report urges health services to exercise "extreme caution" when prescribing hormones. There "should be a clear clinical rationale for providing hormones" before the age of majority.
For 17-25 year olds, according to the report, each regional centre should have a follow-up service "to ensure continuity of care and support (for young people) at a potentially vulnerable stage of their journey".
For prepubescent children, an "even more cautious" approach is needed. Those who change their pronouns or first names at a young age may feel even more stress with the onset of puberty and therefore the urgency to take hormone treatments.
At the root of the debate, Hilary Cass worries about "the poor quality of published studies" and the lack of "reliable data" on transidentity among young people: "Research has abandoned" young people.
A former head of the closed Tavistock specialist public institution told Times Radio that children had sometimes been prescribed puberty blockers "after one or two appointments". The team "got seduced by transgender ideology," Bell said.
Last month, the NHS in England announced that it would no longer prescribe puberty blockers to minors who wish to change their gender.
Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the report: "We need to be extremely careful ... because we don't know the impact" of puberty blockers or hormone treatments.
The report made headlines, and particularly pleased the conservative press. "Finally the voice of reason on trans dogma," says the Daily Mail.
The government and the conservative media have been very critical of the demands of transgender groups. The authorities have also recently recommended safeguards for schools dealing with children who request to be identified as gender other than their own.
London has blocked a plan adopted in Scotland that aimed to make it easier to recognise gender change from the age of 16.
In the introduction to the report, Hilary Cass addresses the young people she met who asked for
access to puberty blockers and hormones as soon as possible.
"I am aware that you must be disappointed," she wrote. But "it's not an option for you to make life-changing decisions without being able to weigh the risks and benefits of them now and in the long term."