A prominent physician and transgender rights activist has led a $10 million, taxpayer-funded study into the effects of puberty blockers on American children to the extent that they are harmful to patients' mental health. He admitted that he deliberately withheld publication because he found no evidence that it would improve health.
Dr. Joanna Olson-Kennedy said: new york times She believed the study could be “weaponized” by critics of transgender children's care and one day used in court to argue that “inhibitors should not be used.” He said that
Critics, including one of Olson-Kennedy's colleagues, say the decision violates research standards and deprives Americans of “really important” science in a field where Americans remain deeply divided. He said it would happen.
In the study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers selected 95 children with an average age of 11 years and began administering puberty-blocking drugs starting in 2015. Treatments aim to delay the onset of body changes such as breast growth and growth. Deepening of voice.
Although Olson-Kennedy, who followed the young people for two years and found that the treatment did not improve their mental health, found that at the beginning and end of the two-year treatment, the children were doing “very well.” condition.''
But the Times noted that her optimistic assessment is at odds with a previous record by researchers who found that about a quarter of study participants were “depressed or suicidal” before receiving treatment. It has been pointed out that this is inconsistent with the data.
The results also do not support the findings of a 2011 Dutch study, the main scientific study cited by proponents of giving children puberty blockers. That study of 70 children found that children treated with puberty blockers reported improved mental health and fewer behavioral and emotional problems.
Olson-Kennedy, the paper notes, is one of the nation's leading advocates for providing gender-affirming care to youth, and is seeking legal protection against state bans on such procedures that have persisted in more than 20 states. He regularly provides expert testimony in opposition proceedings.
Asked by the Times why the results have not been published nine years later, she said: “We don't want our research to be weaponised,” adding: “It's exactly on point. It must be clear and concise,” he added. And it takes time. ”
She then flatly stated that she feared the lack of mental health improvements supported by this study would one day be used in court to argue that “inhibitors should not be used.” he admitted.
a Trans research in America after Washington KFF It found that 68% of U.S. adults oppose providing puberty blockers to transgender-identifying youth ages 10 to 14, and 58% oppose hormone treatment to 15 to 17-year-olds.
Amy Tichelman, a clinical and research psychologist at Boston University who was one of the study's original researchers, said there is a clear contradiction in withholding scientific evidence because it is inconsistent with the expected conclusion. he pointed out.
“I understand the fear of being weaponized, but it's very important to get the science out there,” she told the media.
“The lack of change is not necessarily a negative finding. There may be a preventive aspect,” she said with hope.
“We won't know until we investigate further.”
In a 2020 progress report submitted to the NIH, Olson-Kennedy wrote that study participants showed “reductions in symptoms such as depression, anxiety, trauma symptoms, self-harm, and suicidality over time. He hypothesized that, along with this, self-esteem and quality of life would improve.
In an interview with the Times, Olson-Kennedy tried to muddy the waters by claiming that participants had “on average good mental health” when explaining how her hypothesis had failed. It seemed like that.
She made this claim “many times” despite previously stating that 25% of the young patients in the study were suffering from symptoms of a variety of mental illnesses before starting treatment.
When asked by reporters to explain the seemingly contradictory findings, Olson-Kennedy said they were due to “averages of data,” of which she was “still analyzing the complete data set.” said.
In April, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) banned the use of puberty blockers in children following a four-year review by independent researcher Dr Hilary Cass, who said in a report: states. To manage gender-related suffering. ”
Last year, Dr. Littakertu Kartiala, a leading expert on pediatric gender medicine in Finland, said in a newspaper interview that “4 out of 5” children who have doubts about their gender will eventually grow up. He said he would be able to overcome his worries and accept his body without medical intervention.
