Recently, the UK's first government-funded child transgender clinic was prosecuted by a patient's mother and a former nurse. They say "experimental" treatments are being forced on patients as young as 11 years old.
< h1 toutiao-origin="h5" > Tavistock Clinic</h1>
The Times first reported on the lawsuit, alleging that the Gender Recognition Development Service (GIDS), implemented at the Tavistock Clinic in Leeds, was at risk of being "inaccurate and potentially misleading" about hormone blockers. Hormone blockers are used to delay sexual development in children who wish to change their sex.
The lawsuit was brought by sue Evans, the mother of a 15-year-old patient at the clinic. The patient's mother revealed herself only as "Ms. A."; Sue Evans worked as a mental health nurse at the clinic from 2003 to 2007.
Evans told The Times she was concerned about how quickly the clinic recommended hormone therapy for children.
"Some experts say this could pose serious medical risks, including loss of fertility and the ability to have orgasm." Evans said some of the patient's families weren't aware of some of the dangers.
Ms. A said she wanted to remain anonymous in order to protect her child's privacy. "No one understands the risks of hormonal treatment, let alone my daughter."
"Ms. A" expressed concern about the clinic, believing that it was an "experimental treatment". She added that under these conditions, patients and families are unable to obtain proper informed consent.
"There are a lot of parents, like me, who are eager to support their children... We want to provide the best treatment for our children, but we need to start from a medical evidence-based perspective, not from an experimental point of view. ”
On the Tavistock website, its GIDS program is described as "providing highly specialized treatment for young people with gender identity difficulties." In recent months, however, the agency has come under increasing scrutiny as some worry that doctors are misleading patients and urging them to undergo potentially dangerous treatments.
Kirsty Entwistle, another former employee of the clinic, published an open letter this summer to the head of Davidstock. He said the center's medical progress was too fast, but there was too little clinical evidence.
"This is a problem, GIDS clinicians making decisions without a strong clinical evidence base that will have a significant impact on the bodies of children and young people and their lives, and may affect them for the rest of their lives," Entvesle wrote. ”
In a statement to The Times, the Tavistock Clinic said it would not comment on any outstanding legal issues.
The agency said: "We are not suitable for detailed comments before any proposed legal proceedings." "GIDS is one of the oldest services of its kind in the world and has an international reputation for prudence and deliberation."
Compiled/written by: Nandu reporter Shi Minglei
Image credit: Pixabay, Tavistock