High Court Weighs Up Treatment Consent in Children with Gender Dysphoria [View all]

[janterry]

Most of the articles I've seen online are one-sided.

This one makes a good effort at presenting both sides (so well worth reading).

This case could have wide ramifications for whether to 'watchfully wait' or to use medications with children who are gender non-conforming.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/938899

The suit was brought by Kiera Bell, who used blockers and then went on to use testosterone. There are lasting effects and changes to her body that she deeply regrets. She wishes the clinicians had worked with her more to understand where her dysphoria originated and help her come to terms with her gender non-conformity.

There is research from the GIDS about the efficacy of using blockers, but that continues to be withheld (they did not release it to the court).

From the article:
A study conducted by GIDS, completed in 2019, that is currently undergoing the peer-review process before publication, was unavailable for this judicial review. However Mr Hyam noted that preliminary findings show that: "The suppression of hormones does not impact positively on the experience of gender dysphoria," and that "natal girls appeared to be more dissatisfied with their sex characteristics, and there was an increase in reporting of thoughts of self-harm or suicide by children in the study".

Also from the article:
Defence lawyer Ms Morris, pointed out: "If [the young people] are able to consent, and wish to continue blockers, they can have them for a few years, can stop and restart and over this time, work is done to expand their understanding and their life experience increases, and this is made relevant and salient to their understanding of longer-term treatment and whether they want to start cross-sex hormones at age 16."

For her part, Kiera Bell says it was a brash decision and
"I couldn't weigh the loss of experiences, but this should have been obvious to the treating physicians." Mr Hyam noted that Ms Bell experienced hot flushes, cognitive dysfunction, joint issues… at the time, and later problems linked to sexuality."

She worries additionally whether her chance to ever have children has been impacted.