New UK Trials To Explore Puberty Blockers' Impact On Young Trans People's Health
The UK has announced two new clinical trials aimed at investigating the effects of puberty blockers on young people with gender incongruence. The trials, part of a larger "Pathways" programme, will recruit approximately 226 participants aged between 10 and 15 years to test the impact of these drugs on their physical and psychological development.
The first trial, known as Pathways Trial, involves an estimated 226 young people who will be randomly assigned to either start taking puberty blockers immediately or after a one-year delay. The group's health, wellbeing, and development will be closely monitored for two years, with regular reviews and assessments to determine their ongoing care needs.
The second trial, called Pathways Connect, will involve around 150 participants from the first trial, as well as another 100 young people with gender incongruence who are not receiving puberty blockers. These individuals will undergo MRI brain imaging and cognitive tests to compare their results with those of the first group.
Critics have raised concerns about the ethics of these trials, with one advocacy group describing them as "coercive in nature". The group's health director argued that leaving some young people waiting for an extra year to access puberty blockers would be distressing and potentially damaging. However, the chief investigator of the new studies has acknowledged that such trials are often necessary to assess the safety and efficacy of new medications.
The UK's previous review of NHS gender identity services found that there was insufficient evidence on the long-term effects of puberty blockers on young people's psychological wellbeing, cognitive development, or fertility. As a result, the NHS has removed children with gender dysphoria from routine access to these drugs, confining their use to research settings.
The results of these trials are expected to take at least four years to emerge, providing valuable insights into the impact of puberty blockers on young trans people's health and wellbeing.
The UK has announced two new clinical trials aimed at investigating the effects of puberty blockers on young people with gender incongruence. The trials, part of a larger "Pathways" programme, will recruit approximately 226 participants aged between 10 and 15 years to test the impact of these drugs on their physical and psychological development.
The first trial, known as Pathways Trial, involves an estimated 226 young people who will be randomly assigned to either start taking puberty blockers immediately or after a one-year delay. The group's health, wellbeing, and development will be closely monitored for two years, with regular reviews and assessments to determine their ongoing care needs.
The second trial, called Pathways Connect, will involve around 150 participants from the first trial, as well as another 100 young people with gender incongruence who are not receiving puberty blockers. These individuals will undergo MRI brain imaging and cognitive tests to compare their results with those of the first group.
Critics have raised concerns about the ethics of these trials, with one advocacy group describing them as "coercive in nature". The group's health director argued that leaving some young people waiting for an extra year to access puberty blockers would be distressing and potentially damaging. However, the chief investigator of the new studies has acknowledged that such trials are often necessary to assess the safety and efficacy of new medications.
The UK's previous review of NHS gender identity services found that there was insufficient evidence on the long-term effects of puberty blockers on young people's psychological wellbeing, cognitive development, or fertility. As a result, the NHS has removed children with gender dysphoria from routine access to these drugs, confining their use to research settings.
The results of these trials are expected to take at least four years to emerge, providing valuable insights into the impact of puberty blockers on young trans people's health and wellbeing.
. I know some of my friends are going through this struggle and it's really hard for them. But at the same time, I don't think we should just let kids take these meds without knowing what the long-term effects are 
. It's like, they're still growing and their brains are still developing - how can we be sure that taking puberty blockers won't affect that? 
And then again, some people might be feeling super distressed or uncomfortable waiting a year for the meds to kick in... it's just a tough situation, you know? 
I guess what I'm saying is that we should just wait and see how these trials turn out before making any big decisions 
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. Puberty blockers can be super helpful in the short term, but is it really good for them in the long run? 
this is so interesting 
...
We gotta make sure we're not making things worse for them. And honestly, 4 years is a looong time to wait for results... 
the fact that there's still so much uncertainty around this is like, really concerning 
but at the same time I'm all for trying to get more info on what these meds can do 
they need our support, not a trial by fire 
i mean, puberty blockers are meant to give them time to think, to explore their feelings, to be young and messy without the added pressure of hormones. it's like we're asking them to navigate this wild ride on their own, without even having a map 
let's take a step back, breathe, and make sure these trials are done with the kids' best interests at heart 
we can do better than this 
They're doing trials on puberty blockers for young trans people?! Like, what even is that? 
I wish they could just make sure everyone has access to these meds without having to wait a whole year or go through all that stuff. Can't we just be supportive and not do trials on our own flesh and blood?! 
#SupportYoungPeople
. Like, what if one of the groups gets delayed from taking puberty blockers and it causes some kind of negative effect on their mental health? 
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. We need to make sure these trials are done with the kids' best interests at heart, not just to test meds 
gotta wonder whats the real motive behind it tho? like, is it really just about finding out if these meds are safe or is there something else at play? 
and what about the 1 year delay thingy? sounds like a trap to me... they're basically taking away the one thing thats helping them cope with their feelings and saying no thanks 
. dont even get me started on the MRI brain imaging stuff 
, that's some deep surveillance right there 
? I mean, I get that it's a big deal, but can't we just take a step back and be more cautious about rushing into anything? I'd love to see some clearer guidelines on what these trials are actually testing and what the goals are 
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