Trans youth will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers at NHS England gender identity clinics in a new “blow” to gender-affirming healthcare.

Puberty blockers are a type of medicine that prevent puberty from starting by blocking the hormones – like testosterone and oestrogen – that lead to puberty-related changes in the body. In the case of trans youth, this can delay unwanted physical changes like menstruation, breast growth, voice changes or facial hair growth.

On Tuesday (12 March), NHS England confirmed the medicine, which has been described as “life-saving” medical care for trans youth, will only be available to young people as part of clinical research trials.

The government described the move as a “landmark decision”, Sky News reported. It believed such a move is in the “best interests of the child”.

  • @Drivebyhaiku
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    9 months ago

    Honey. We know our shit and we often know it young. I had to go through puberty knowing as I was experiencing it every moment was taking me further and further into a body horror I knew I would never come to terms with. Other trans people my age are very much the same and you know what? A lot of us live with deep lifelong regrets knowing that we have less options to travel the world or exist comfortably in public because of that puberty we knew bone deep right from the get go we never wanted.

    Being trans isn’t subtle. It screams at you, gnaws at your insides how wrong everything is. Particularly when pre-puberty you are able to perfectly pass… And then every minute puberty slowly takes that away from you by inches like a slow bleeding wound until you ache to have what you know you will never effortlessly experience again.

    Ignorance fucking doomed me. Yours will do nothing but doom others.

      • @Drivebyhaiku
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        9 months ago

        Yeah… Is pushing 40 considered young now or do I have to be fucking senile before I count? Take your paternalistic shit and cram it right back up your ass where it came from.