4 weeks ago
Scottish First Minister and erstwhile Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said members of parliament will springiness an update connected nan government's position regarding younker hormone therapy "in nan coming weeks." Photo by Robert Perry/EPA-EFE
April 18 (UPI) -- Scotland's only gender session has paused hormone curen for patients younger than 18 pursuing a landmark reappraisal of nan treatment.
The Sandyford session successful Glasgow connected Thursday said it has paused prescribing puberty blockers and different hormone treatments to children until they turned 18.
According to an update connected Sandyford's website, "Referrals from nan Sandyford intersexual wellness services to pediatric endocrinology for nan medicine of puberty suppressing hormones person been paused for immoderate caller patients assessed by our young person's gender service."
The session said nan region will not impact patients who are presently receiving treatment.
The determination follows nan publication of a review by pediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass, commissioned by nan National Health Service of England, which reportedly recovered "weak evidence" for nan effectiveness of prescribing hormone curen for minors who are questioning their gender.
The study said young group person been "let down" by nan "toxicity" of nan statement surrounding their care.
NHS England said it would extremity prescribing puberty blockers successful March. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde paused starting caller patients connected nan curen pursuing that decision.
Sandyford has travel nether onslaught successful caller weeks for not instantly pursuing done pinch nan prohibition until now.
"The findings informing nan Cass reappraisal are important, and we person reviewed nan effect connected our objective pathways," said Dr. Emilia Crighton, NHSGCC head of nationalist health. "The adjacent measurement from present is to activity pinch nan Scottish authorities and world partners to make grounds that enables america to present safe attraction for our patients."
Vic Valentine, head of defense group Scottish Trans, said nan determination to region curen would "harm trans children and young people."
"This determination has been taken wrong nan discourse wherever nan reality of trans people's experiences and lives is questioned almost regular successful immoderate of nan media and immoderate governmental circles," a connection from Scottish Trans read.
"This makes america interest that nan determination has been influenced by that discourse alternatively than solely done information of nan champion interests of trans children and young people."
Members of LGBT Youth Scotland besides protested nan decision, urging Sandyford to reconsider.
"Being transgender, particularly successful specified a antagonistic governmental climate, tin person terrible antagonistic impacts connected one's intelligence wellness and accessing gender affirming curen tin and has saved lives," nan group said successful a statement.
First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf said members of parliament will springiness an update connected nan government's position "in nan coming weeks."
"There is simply a process of reappraisal that is very overmuch nether way," he said.
Yousaf earlier this week said Scottish heath boards would springiness nan "utmost consideration" to nan Cass report, adding, "When it comes to nan prescribing of medicine, clinicians are champion placed -- not politicians, authorities ministers aliases myself arsenic first minister."
Scottish Conservative lawman leader Meghan Gallacher said nan region was "long overdue."
"I'm beyond fed up pinch this lackadaisical attack to gender care. They are failing children and young people," she said.
Puberty blockers suppress hormones that origin puberty and are often prescribed to children questioning their gender.
According to figures obtained by BBC Scotland News nether a state of accusation request, 1,100 patients astatine nan extremity of 2023 were connected nan waiting database for puberty blockers.
Seventy-one patients nether 18 received prescriptions for puberty blockers aft referrals from Sandyford betwixt 2016 and 2023.
Following nan pause, 43 patients successful Scotland will proceed to person either puberty blockers aliases "gender affirming" hormones, specified arsenic testosterone aliases estrogen.
