A BBC Panorama programme, available on iPlayer, demonstrated that the lack of research behind drugs being given to pre-pubescent children with gender identity issues is compromising their care.
Further to that, Dr Biggs, an Oxford professor, claims that research has been suppressed that disagrees with the current zeitgeist. The Tavistock Centre’s Gender Identity Clinic in London has had doctors leaving the service due to the unscientific approach to medicating people. Research on sheep has shown that brains are damaged when drugs are administered that interfere with normal processes that the developing brain goes through during puberty. More concerning is Dr Biggs’ accusation that results of a 2015 report to the Tavistock Centre, showing negative outcomes to drug use, were suppressed. The full results of the trial remain unpublished. Girls had an increase in self harm when using puberty suppressants, and parents noted that there was a significant increase in behavioural and emotional problems. The research showed no positive impact on the experience of gender dysphoria. Some parents and children are keen to quickly take drugs that stop puberty, and then have opposite-sex hormones in order to ‘transition’.
What wasn’t discussed in the programme was the deeply unpleasant side of pre-puberty hormone treatment which results in genitalia not developing normally. This reduces the opportunity for the child to have plastic surgery to construct, for example, a ‘pocket’ (to act as a vagina) from their penis. In effect children are being put on a path to body mutilation, being sterilised and in some cases made unable to ever have a sexual relationship, before they really understand the impact of each of these in their lives.
