Current:Home > MyScotland halts prescription of puberty blocking hormones for minors as gender identity service faces scrutiny -Streamline Finance
Scotland halts prescription of puberty blocking hormones for minors as gender identity service faces scrutiny
Fastexy Exchange View
Date:2025-04-11 10:53:59
London — The only gender identity clinic in Scotland has paused prescribing puberty blockers to new patients under 18 years old, mirroring action taken by England's health authorities after a landmark review found young people had been let down by "remarkably weak" evidence backing medical interventions in gender care.
The report, commissioned by Britain's National Health Service, also found that the "toxicity" of the debate around gender identity meant physicians were operating in fear.
Dr. Hillary Cass, who led the review that produced the 388-page report published earlier this month, said "we don't have good evidence" that puberty blockers are safe to use to prevent changes that come during puberty.
- Supreme Court allows Idaho to enforce ban on gender-affirming care for most minors
"It is unusual for us to give a potentially life-changing treatment to young people and not know what happens to them in adulthood, and that's been a particular problem, that we haven't had the follow-up into adulthood to know what the results of this are," Cass told CBS News partner BBC News.
Puberty blockers suppress the release of hormones that cause puberty. They can be prescribed to children who are questioning their gender in order to stop physical changes such as the growth of facial hair or breasts.
"The next step from here is to work with the Scottish government and academic partners to generate evidence that enables us to deliver safe care for our patients," Emilia Crighton, the director of the public health service for the Glasgow region, said in a statement. "We echo the views of Dr. Hilary Cass that toxicity around public debate is impacting the lives of young people seeking the care of our service and does not serve the teams working hard to care and support them. We understand the distress that gender incongruence can cause and, while all referrals to endocrinology are paused, we will continue to give anyone who is referred into the young people's gender service the psychological support that they require while we review the pathways in line with the findings."
Scottish Trans, an advocacy group, said it disagreed with the decision to pause prescriptions of puberty blockers for minors, which it said "has been taken within the context where the reality of trans people's experiences and lives is questioned almost daily in some of the media and some political circles."
"This makes us worry that the decision has been influenced by that context rather than solely through consideration of the best interests of trans children and young people," Scottish Trans said in a statement, adding that between 2011 and 2023, only 87 young Scottish people were prescribed puberty blockers.
"The exceptionally rare and cautious choice of puberty blocker prescription, made for a small number after huge waits, is being wrongly painted by some as though it was commonplace and rushed. Nothing could be further from the truth. We're saddened that this change will result in some young people being unable to access the care they need at all, or having to wait even longer for it," Scottish Trans said.
Ahead of the Cass review's publication, the NHS said in March that it would stop prescribing puberty blockers to under-18s at gender identity clinics in England. New young patients in the U.K. can still get a prescription for hormone blockers, but only as part of a clinical trial.
Cass' review called for better research into the medications and their long-term effects, as well as the characteristics of children seeking treatment.
"The reality is we have no good evidence on the long-term outcomes of interventions to manage gender-related distress," she wrote in the review.
She encouraged a holistic assessment of patients, taking into consideration issues that may not relate to their gender identity, including screening for conditions such as autism to address "diagnostic overshadowing" that could occur when issues of gender are brought up.
"What's unfortunately happened for these young people is that, because of the toxicity of the debate, they've often been bypassed by local services who've been really nervous about seeing them," Cass told the BBC. "So, rather than doing the things that they would do for other young people with depression or anxiety, or perhaps undiagnosed autistic spectrum disorder, they've tended to pass them straight on to the GID (Gender Identity Disorder) service."
The Cass review was commissioned following a sharp rise in referrals to gender identity services in the U.K., from around 250 a year to more than 5,000 in 2022.
- In:
- Transgender
- LGBTQ+
- Mental Health
- United Kingdom
- Scotland
Haley Ott is the CBS News Digital international reporter, based in the CBS News London bureau.
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (9483)
Related
- Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
- CMT Awards voting: You can still decide Video of the Year
- Will China flood the globe with EVs and green tech? What’s behind the latest US-China trade fight
- Driver flees after California solo car crash kills 9-year-old girl, critically injures 4 others
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- These numbers don't lie. South Carolina has chance to be greatest undefeated women's team
- As a Mississippi town reels from a devastating tornado, a displaced family finds its way home
- Huge crowds await a total solar eclipse in North America. Clouds may spoil the view
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Purdue powers its way into NCAA March Madness title game, beating N.C. State 63-50
Ranking
- Skins Game to make return to Thanksgiving week with a modern look
- WrestleMania 40 live results: Night 2 WWE match card, start time, how to stream and more
- South Carolina joins elite company. These teams went undefeated, won national title
- Foster children deprived of benefits: How a loophole affects the most vulnerable
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Paul Rudd, Ryan Gosling and more stars welcome Kristen Wiig to the 'SNL' Five-Timers Club
- Who won CMT Music Awards for 2024? See the full list of winners and nominees
- South Carolina finishes perfect season with NCAA championship, beating Clark and Iowa 87-75
Recommendation
Travis Hunter, the 2
How to watch the 2024 CMT Music Awards tonight: Here's who's performing, hosting and more
Why Brandi Cyrus Says Mom Tish Cyrus Is in Her Unapologetic Era
William Bryon wins NASCAR race Martinsville to lead 1-2-3 sweep by Hendrick Motorsports
South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
Purdue's Matt Painter has been one of best coaches of his generation win or lose vs. UConn
'Quiet on Set' new episode: Former 'All That' actor Shane Lyons says Brian Peck made 'passes' at him
Lauren Graham Reveals Matthew Perry's Final Birthday Gift to Her