UK Court Upholds Ban on Puberty Blockers

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Facts

• A high court has ruled that the ban on prescribing puberty blockers to children with gender dysphoria in England, Scotland, and Wales instituted in May is lawful, saying that there was 'powerful scientific evidence' in favor of the government's order.^[1]
• The ban was spurred by the conclusions reached by pediatrician Hilary Cass regarding the available evidence for puberty blockers. The 'Cass Report' [also 'Cass Review' in some sources] found that the studies in support of puberty blockers were of low quality and had 'low certainty' results.^[2]
• A transgender advocacy group then took legal action against the emergency order, brought in by former health secretary Victoria Atkins, arguing that it was unjustified and was not made in consultation with patients.^[3]
• Puberty blockers are designed to delay the onset of puberty, and in the context of gender medicine are sometimes prescribed to children so they can consider their options, which could include gender reassignment.^[4]
• In a judgment, Justice Lang wrote that Atkins' emergency order was a 'rational' move made to 'avoid serious danger' to children and young people. The Cass Review's findings on the 'very substantial risks and very narrow benefits' of puberty blockers were said to be sufficient grounds for the order.^[1]
• The National Health Service (NHS) had decided against giving puberty blockers to children with gender dysphoria in March before the May order in light of the Cass Review. Puberty blockers are now only available to those already taking the drug, while the current health secretary says the NHS is putting together a clinical trial.^[3]

Sources: ^[1]Guardian, ^[2]Washington Examiner, ^[3]BBC News and ^[4]ABC News.

Narratives

• Right narrative, as provided by Independent Women's Forum. The house of cards that is 'youth gender medicine' is surely crumbling. As revealed by the Cass Review, there is a shocking dearth of high-quality evidence for puberty blockers, which flies in the face of the repeated assurances made by the media about their efficacy. This court upheld common sense and kept untested medicine out of the hands of vulnerable children. The court shut down the lie that this experimental medicine is safe and effective.
• Left narrative, as provided by Guardian. The healthcare needs of an incredibly vulnerable population have been made into a political football, and we seem to have forgotten that the lives of real children are being affected. When treating a young patient with gender dysphoria, the course of treatment ought to be determined by the doctors and the family, not by politicians. Puberty blockers can help a small group of patients, and a tool needed to ensure their quality of life cannot be taken away wantonly.