Trans youth will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers at NHS England gender identity clinics in a new “blow” to gender-affirming healthcare.
Puberty blockers are a type of medicine that prevent puberty from starting by blocking the hormones – like testosterone and oestrogen – that lead to puberty-related changes in the body. In the case of trans youth, this can delay unwanted physical changes like menstruation, breast growth, voice changes or facial hair growth.
On Tuesday (12 March), NHS England confirmed the medicine, which has been described as “life-saving” medical care for trans youth, will only be available to young people as part of clinical research trials.
The government described the move as a “landmark decision”, Sky News reported. It believed such a move is in the “best interests of the child”.
Wait wait… you’re invoking things being similar to torture while trying to argue trans kids should be forced to experience years of discongruous puberty before being able to even attempt to fix damage there was no reason they had to be subjected to to begin with?
That is fucking ballsy of you.
How do I put this?
Trans people are not the only people that exist. There are stupid children that will lie about stupid things, having been a former child that has dealt with some disastrous consequences I can safely say that better than anyone.
I felt a whole ton of ways about a whole lot of things, and did a lot of damage to myself along the way. Only to discover I was wrong about much of what I perceived.
It’s not ballsy to suggest that people make mistakes. When those mistakes can come with pretty fucking damaging side effects it’s also not ballsy to suggest that you cannot simply ask your doctor for things like this.
Also, yes I am suggesting that years of physical pain trumps mental anguish.