by Kate Anderson
A Scottish gender clinic for minors announced Thursday that they would no longer be prescribing puberty blockers for patients under the age of 18.
The Sandyford Sexual Health Services to Paediatric Endocrinology, which is the only clinic in Scotland that prescribes puberty blockers for minors, said that it would not be accepting new 16 and 17-year-old patients for hormone therapy until they turn 18, according to the announcement. The clinic cited the National Health Service (NHS) of England’s decision in March to ban puberty blockers for minors and the publication of the Cass Review on April 10, which found “weak evidence” for giving puberty blockers to children.
“This service update follows research from NHS England and the publication of the Cass Review while we work with the Scottish Government to engage in research with NHS England that will generate evidence of safety and long-term impact for therapies,” the announcement reads.
The clinic noted that current patients on hormone therapy will have “no change” to their treatment.
The Cass review, which spanned the course of four years from 2019 to 2023 and was conducted by Dr. Hillary Cass, revealed that current and past research on puberty suppression showed little ability to help gender dysphoria and may push children toward more complicated procedures, like surgery. The review also criticized the NHS for failing to provide adequate care for detransitioners, individuals who revert back to identify as their biological sex after transitioning.
The NHS announced that it would be opening new services that focus on neurodiversity, mental health and pediatrics and will engage in a more holistic approach for minor patients who identify as transgender.
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Kate Anderson is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “NHS Scotland” by Sandyford Sexual Health Service.
