UK Trial to Test Puberty Blockers on Children, Despite Ban

A new clinical trial in the United Kingdom (UK) will be testing about 220 children under the age of 16, to analyze the physical and psychological impacts of puberty blockers. 

The Details: King's College London will be conducting the trial, "Pathway," on children who are currently seeking gender treatments and have "gender incongruence" (meaning biological gender and gender identity do not align). There is no minimum age for children in the trial, though they must be going through puberty to qualify. The children must also be physically and psychologically screened prior to receiving the medication, and they will reportedly be provided with psychological support throughout the trial. Each child and legal guardian must consent. The reportedly £10 million ($13.1 million) trial is set to start in January, the results of which should begin to be publicized in four years. A separate observational study on about 3,000 children will accompany it, analyzing the effects of different gender treatments.

For Context: The UK banned puberty blockers, also known as puberty-suppressing hormones (PSH), for minors in December 2024. However, the country's National Health Service (NHS) reportedly granted ethical approval for the new trial. New Zealand announced a ban similar to the UK's on puberty blockers for minors last week. 

How The Media Covered It: This story was not widely covered by mainstream news media in the US. BBC (Center bias) framed the trial as "[an assessment of] the risks and benefits of puberty-blocking drugs in children who question their gender." It detailed some controversies surrounding the trial, giving voice to its leader, Professor Emily Simonoff, who defended it, and critic Keria Bell, who called it "unsafe." Bell disputed Tavistock gender clinic in court after she was given puberty blockers as a child. Pink News (Left) also quoted Simonoff, along with others who criticized not the blockers themselves but the trial's wait times and the UK's supposed lack of access to transgender "healthcare." The outlet did, however, note that "campaigners have described the trial as 'intrusive and distressing,'" including part of the quote in its headline. Breitbart (Right) highlighted that Simonoff "acknowledged that the study could have long-term negative impacts on the children involved, including potential impacts to their fertility, mental development, and bone structure." Its lede stated that the trial would affect "children as young as ten years old" with drugs that would "suppress their natural development." The outlet most prominently gave voice to critics of the trial, such as Dr. Alice Hodkinson, who said, "There is already clear evidence of harm," and Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss, who said, "Doing this to children is evil. It should be a crime."

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