Scotland’s Sandyford clinic has paused prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to under-18s, responding to findings from the NHS-commissioned Cass review. Here’s the full story.
TERF-Island
The UK is not an easy place to be transgender, with the country earning the online moniker of TERF-Island, in reference to the Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist movement, which advocates for a strictly sex-based understanding of gender.
Vilification and Faux Outrage
With frequent op-eds from writers who also share this view, near-constant vilification in the right-wing media and the faux outrage of politicians over the so-called encroachment of transgender rights, perhaps the moniker is well deserved.
“Weak Evidence”
Adding to the woes of the already embattled transgender community, the recent Cass Review, commissioned by the Conservative government, has recently called the long-established validity of puberty blockers into question, stating that there was “weak evidence” for the use of such medications.
“Decades of Data”
This has put the UK medical community’s stance on puberty blockers in opposition to those from the USA, where Scientific American stated that “decades of data support the use and safety of puberty-pausing medications, which give transgender adolescents and their families time to weigh important medical decisions.”
Blocker Backlash
Since the Cass report was published, the backlash against puberty blockers for trans youth has continued apace, particularly in England.
Pausing Prescriptions
However, now, even in Scotland, which has a separate NHS from England, the pressure has led to the Sandyford clinic, Scotland’s primary and only facility for transgender healthcare, to pause the prescription of puberty blockers to transgender youth.
Sexual Support Clinic
The Sandyford clinic, which provides not only transgender healthcare but also emergency contraception, abortion and support for victims of sexual assault, updated their patients on the changes with a post online.
“Paused For Any New Patients”
It read, “Referrals from the Sandyford sexual health services to paediatric endocrinology for the prescription of puberty suppressing hormones have been paused for any new patients assessed by our young person’s gender service.
“18 Years Old”
“Patients aged 16 to 17 years old who have not been treated by paediatric endocrinology, but who are still seeking treatment for their gender incongruence, will no longer be prescribed gender-affirming hormone treatment until they are 18 years old.”
Inundated With Criticism
The Sandyford clinic has been inundated with a barrage of criticism for its perceived delay in aligning with NHS England’s directives regarding puberty blockers despite NHS Scotland being a separate entity.
“Tartan Tavistock”
This criticism, brought forth mostly in right-wing newspapers, was best summed up by the right magazine The Spectator, labelling the Sandyford as the “tartan Tavistock,” about the Tavistock clinic in England, which was England’s only treatment centre for transgender youth, which has also recently closed.
March Pause
However, as is often the case with culture war arguments, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which oversees Sandyford, pointed out that it had paused new patients’ puberty blocker placements in March while awaiting the Cass report’s results.
Affirmative Model
It is also noteworthy that the Sandyford clinic does not strictly adhere to an affirmative model of care, which is the practice that the Cass Review criticised.
“Utmost Consideration”
The Scottish government, led by First Minister Humza Yousaf, has emphasised the importance of clinical expertise in medical treatment decisions. He said the government would give “utmost consideration” to the Cass report.
“Clinicians Are Best Placed”
Yousaf stated, “When it comes to the prescribing of medicine, clinicians are best placed – not politicians, government ministers or myself as first minister.”
Continued Treatments
Thankfully, Sandyford will continue to provide hormone treatments to those who were already prescribed the medication by their doctors.
“Best Possible Clinical Care”
The clinic affirmed, “We are committed to providing the best possible clinical care for young people accessing and understand the distress that gender incongruence can cause.”
“Pause in Place”
It continued, “While this pause is in place, we will continue to give anyone who is referred into the young people gender service the psychological support that they require while we review the pathways in line with the findings
“Unable to Access the Care”
However, not everyone was happy with Sandyford’s recent decision. Vic Valentine of the Scottish Trans advocacy group lamented that “some young people being unable to access the care they need at all, or having to wait even longer for it.”
Changing Ideals
The Sandyford clinic’s decision to pause prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones underscores the changing ideals of transgender healthcare in the UK and, now more recently, in Scotland.
Policy Shift
While patient safety must always be at the forefront of medical care, the sudden shift in policy has left many trans youth in a state of limbo, with no certain future for their gender identity. What outcome this will have on the lives of those trans individuals remains to be seen.
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The post Gender Clinic Stops Prescribing Puberty Blockers for Minors first appeared on Edge Media.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Michael Tubi.
Grant Gallacher is a seasoned writer with expertise in politics and impactful daily news. His work, deeply rooted in addressing issues that resonate with a wide audience, showcases an unwavering commitment to bringing forth the stories that matter. He is also known for satirical writing and stand up comedy.