According to a report released on Wednesday from a top doctor in England, youngsters who question their female identity are being deceived by a lack of information and a dangerous political debate.
There is “no good information on the long-term effects of interventions to control gender-related distress,” according to Dr. Cass, and young people have been sucked into a “stormy social conversation” about the subject.
Cass, a retired medical physician appointed to lead a review of gender service for young individuals by the state-funded National Health Service, said that philosophy on all sides has directed attention rather than attention being directed by accepted standards of pediatrics and mental health.
Children and young people with gender dysphoria were no longer prescribed puberty-blocking hormone by specialists in England’s public health system on April 1. Following recommendations in Cass’ earlier interim report, which stated there is not enough evidence to support the blockers’ potential benefits and drawbacks, which help prevent people from developing physical characteristics like breasts or beards incompatible with their gender identity.
Some trans politicians criticized the decision, which is not an outright ban on puberty blockers, and it is currently being carefully watched in the United States. Major U.S. medical associations support transgender medical treatment for minors, but some Republican-led states have outlawed puberty blockers and other forms of treatment for transgender children and, in some cases, adults.
Cass’ report, which runs to about 400 pages, said that “for most younger people, a skilled pathway” is not the best way to cope with gender-related issues.
Cass argued that young people who question their gender identity should receive “a holistic assessment,” which includes screening for neurodevelopmental conditions like autism and a mental health assessment.
She urged “extreme caution” when giving people under 18 years old masculinizing or feminizing hormones — testosterone or estrogen.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the review’s recommendation of caution.
“We should exercise extreme caution because we simply do not know the long-term effects of medical treatment or social transitioning on them,” he said.
The Conservative government of Sunak’s government is accused of using gender identity as a tool in a “culture war” electoral strategy. The government recently issued education guidelines for schools that stated that teachers shouldn’t be asked to address pupils with their preferred pronouns.
There is “no clear evidence” in her report that social transitions in childhood, such as changing names or pronouns, have any beneficial or detrimental effects on mental health.
There is no simple explanation for why young people in the U.K. and other countries have increased in recent years, according to the report’s conclusion.
“There is broad agreement that it is a result of a complex interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors,” the report said. “This balance of factors will be different in each individual”.
Many of the recommendations in the report “could make a positive impact,” according to the LGBTQ rights organization Stonewall.
“But others could lead to new barriers that prevent children and young people from getting the care they need and deserve,” said the group’s director of campaigns and human rights, Robbie de Santos.
