Puberty Blockers Have Long Term Negative Effects: Mayo Clinic
A new study suggests damage done by puberty blockers is permanent despite claims by transgender campaigners that hormone drugs administered to children simply “pause” puberty and provide time for children who question their gender.
The study was conducted by 11 researchers at the Mayo Clinic’s largest campus which found boys who are administered puberty blockers may suffer from decreased sperm count, as well as progressive degeneration or shrinkage of sex gland tissues known as atrophy.
The study examined the effects of puberty blockers on testicular cells and function.
The findings revealed “unprecedented histological evidence revealing detrimental pediatric testicular sex gland responses to [puberty blockers].”
One of the authors of the 33-page study is geneticist Nagarajan Kannan who commented on it saying: “At the tissue level, we report mild-to-severe sex gland atrophy in puberty blocker-treated children.”
“We provide unprecedented histological evidence revealing detrimental pediatric testicular sex gland responses to the drugs,” they added, going on to highlight the case of a 12-year-old boy who had been on puberty blocker treatment for 14 months.”
In the child’s case, nearly 60% of his sex glands had “full atrophied,” whilst there was also an “appearance of microlithiasis” – small clusters of calcium that are linked to testicular cancer.
It was also found that the sperm production cells of another 14-year-old boy participating in the study had been stunted. This child had been receiving puberty blockers for four years.
Ultimately, the findings led the authors to question the common claim that puberty blockers are “reversible.”
“The evidence of sex ‘gland atrophy and abnormalities from the histology data raise a potential concern regarding the complete ‘reversibility’ and reproductive fitness’ of sperm cells in boys who take puberty blockers,” they said.
87 boys between the ages of 10 and 16 were a part of the study, nine of whom were already on puberty blockers. All of the boys would eventually be put on blockers, and they began identifying as transgender girls between the ages of two and 15.
The researchers noted the lack of long-term studies on puberty blockers for gender dysphoric children, meaning that many of the drugs’ effects, such as impacts on fertility, are still unknown.
The study has been published on BioRxiv, a website hosted by the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, but has not yet been peer-reviewed. However, two-thirds of the papers published on BioRxiv are later published in peer-reviewed journals.
The study comes ahead of the long-anticipated Review in Britain by Dr. Hilary Cass who’s findings emphasize the need for mental health support over hasty decisions to change gender.
The review states that “[social transitioning] may have significant effects on the child or young person in terms of psychological functioning” and that it is not a neutral act and better information is needed about outcomes.”
The independent review warned that healthcare professionals felt afraid to discuss their views on “transgender” services for children. The report also found that there was no evidence that puberty blockers or hormone drugs “buy time to think” or reduce the suicide risk in children suffering from gender dysphoria.
𝗗𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚: A significant review led by Dr. Hillary Cass is about to reveal findings crucial for children who feel they are transgender.
— Hank (@GCapital_LLC) April 10, 2024
Nature is healing.
Scheduled for release on Wednesday, it emphasizes the need for mental health support over hasty decisions to… pic.twitter.com/z548mq7U48
This review comes after England’s NHS decided to forgo routine prescriptions of puberty blockers and close Tavistock’s service for a more comprehensive approach.
With increasing numbers of youth identifying as transgender, most notably amongst girls wishing to transition to boys, Dr. Cass’s review suggests that counselling should come first, rather than immediate medical interventions like “puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgery.”
The Mayo Clinic’s website page discussing puberty blockers doesn’t have any warnings on the drugs and the full extent of their side effects but states that the drugs “don’t cause permanent physical change” and how puberty resumes when they are no longer administered, this is clearly contradicted by the study.
University of Oxford endocrinologist and professor, Ashley Grossman, says the study provides valuable proof that there’s “no good evidence” proving puberty blockers help children and how the drugs are too risky to be given to the “greatly increased” number of children identifying as transgender.
“Routine puberty blocking treatment for this use has not yet been adequately studied, and many of these children may have other problems for which they need help,’ he added, hinting at a growing body of evidence showing gender confused youngsters often have other, underlying mental health issues,” Grossman stated.
The Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Norway and now the UK have placed restrictions on or banned medical interventions for gender dysphoric children.
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