A new study has suggested that damage done by puberty blockers is permanent, casting doubt on claims by trans campaigners that the hormone drugs simply “pause” puberty and provide time for children who question their gender.
The preprint study from the Mayo Clinic, a world-renowned leader in medical research, found mild to severe atrophy in the testes and sperm of male children on puberty blockers. The authors of the groundbreaking study have expressed doubt about the “reversibility” of such blockers, a claim made by campaigners who promote the use of the drugs for gender dysphoric children.
Scientists at the world-renowned clinic who carried out the study found that puberty blockers can lead to fertility problems, withering testicles, and even cancer among children who take them. Authors found that puberty blockers hurt the development of testicles and sperm production in ways that cannot be fully reversed, with problems including impacting users’ ability to have children in adulthood.
Geneticist Nagarajan Kannan and others who authored the 33-page study said: “At the tissue level, we report mild-to-severe sex gland atrophy in puberty blocker-treated children.”
“We provide unprecedented histological evidence revealing detrimental paediatric testicular sex gland responses to the drugs,” they added, going on to highlight the case of a 12-year-old boy who had been on puberty blocker treatment for 14 months.
In the child’s case, nearly 60 per cent of his sex glands had “full atrophied,” they wrote. In addition, there was also an “appearance of microlithiasis” – small clusters of calcium that are linked to testicular cancer. Meanwhile, in the case of another 14-year-old boy who had been taking puberty blockers for four years, they found that his sperm production cells were stunted.
While researchers described the results as worrying, they emphasised that more research was needed.
“The evidence of sex ‘gland atrophy and abnormalities from the histology data raise a potential concern regarding the complete ‘reversibility’ and reproductive fitness’ of sperm cells in boys who take puberty blockers,” they said.
The recently published preprint came ahead of the long-anticipated Cass Review in Britain, released on Wednesday, with the independent review warning that healthcare professionals felt afraid to discuss their views on transgender services for children. The report also found that there was no evidence that puberty blockers or hormone drugs “buy time to think” or reduce the suicide risk in children suffering from gender dysphoria.
The publication of the review by paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass has confirmed the NHS in England’s shift away from the medicalised treatment of children struggling with their gender, to one focused on talk therapy and support.
The Mayo Clinic preprint, although not yet peer-reviewed or published, suggests that some of the effects of puberty blockers on testes and sperm may not be reversible, sparking concern from leading medics.
Prof Ashley Grossman, a University of Oxford endocrinologist, has pointed to the study as proof that there is ‘no good evidence’ showing puberty blockers help children.
The endocrinologist highlighted the study, saying that the drugs are too risky to be given to the “greatly increased” number of adolescents who identify as transgender.
“Routine puberty blocking treatment for this use has not yet been adequately studied, and many of these children may have other problems for which they need help,’ he added, hinting at a growing body of evidence showing gender confused youngsters often have other, underlying mental health issues,” he said, as he pointed to the early data released by the Mayo Clinic in the preprint last month.
The UK last month joined the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Norway in a growing list of European nations to have either placed restrictions on or banned medical interventions for gender dysphoric children.
Senator Michael McDowell has joined calls in Ireland to halt puberty blockers for Irish children in light of Wednesday’s Cass report.
The senior lawyer and former attorney general said the UK experience must act as a “major wake up call” for Ireland.
“I have for a number of years publicly raised grave concerns about this practice for which Dr Cass has now found “no good evidence” to support its continued use as a treatment pathway for vulnerable gender-questioning children. Similar concerns have been raised in Ireland by the National Gender Service,” Senator McDowell said.
“I am today calling on the Minister for Health and the HSE to immediately discontinue in the public health service the prescription of puberty blockers.”
“The UK experience must now act as an urgent wake-up call to Irish lawmakers, medical professionals, parents and all who care for and about Irish children.”