UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has admitted he is "not comfortable" with a controversial clinical trial testing puberty blockers on children, revealing his constituency office windows have been smashed three times by trans activists since the study launched last month.
Speaking on LBC radio on Friday, Streeting said he has received "all sorts of threats" and been "called all the names under the sun online" following the announcement of the trial. He described medication that "delays, or indeed stops, a natural part of our human development, which is puberty" as deeply uncomfortable for him personally.
Despite his reservations, the Health Secretary said he is following clinical advice and trying "really hard as a politician not to interfere or block clinical advice by people who are, frankly, far more qualified than me."
The controversial trial
The Pathway study aims to recruit around 226 children and young people, some as young as 10, to test puberty blockers alongside other treatments such as therapeutics and mental health support.
The trial follows recommendations from the Cass Review, which uncovered what Streeting called «utterly shocking levels of unprofessionalism, lack of proper clinical oversight and the prescription of puberty blockers without evidence». The review concluded that research claiming benefits of puberty blockers for youngsters with gender dysphoria was "poor."
Streeting explained on LBC: «Hilary Cass also recommended that we do a proper study.» He acknowledged that advocates of the medication argue «for trans people, this is a better course of treatment than leaving them without, and with all of the distress and harm that that can cause.»
Growing opposition
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has called for the trial to be stopped «before more damage is done to children».
Last month, the Bayswater Support Group, which represents parents and guardians of trans or non-binary young people, sent a letter to regulatory bodies, government officials and researchers alongside psychotherapist James Esses and Keira Bell. Bell began taking puberty blockers at 16 before "detransitioning."
The letter claims the trial «fails to safeguard the rights, safety and wellbeing of its subjects, who constitute highly vulnerable children» and is «unlawful given the limited known benefits of treatment with puberty blockers».
Streeting implemented an indefinite ban on puberty blockers in December last year. The new trial represents an attempt to gather proper clinical evidence on their use, though it has sparked fierce debate from both supporters and opponents of gender-affirming care for young people.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
