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Original poster

Puberty Blockers - impact on the brain

207 replies

Triffiddealer · 20/03/2021 11:04

Hi all

I'm well aware about the arguments about lack of evidence re. long term effects of PB on physical health / infertility etc, however I never see any discussion of how they may impact brain development.

Part of my PhD was looking at issues affecting specific teenagers and I found the research on cognitive development during puberty really interesting (Sarah Jayne Blakemore has published a lot and there is a TED talk here www.ted.com/talks/sarah_jayne_blakemore_the_mysterious_workings_of_the_adolescent_brain)

Have any cognitive neuroscientists or biologists studied this - are there implications for cognitive development / ability? I would assume that the PBs also inhibit cognitive development related to puberty, but is this true or does it only impact physical development?

OP posts:
Juliesipadwillcallyouback · 20/03/2021 11:44

Trans kids on puberty blockers go through puberty as soon as they start on estrogen or testosterone.

So a female child who never goes through female puberty, will never have the correct amounts of oestrogen in her female body necessary for the growth of her female bones, will never have the correct amount of oestrogen in her body for the development of her female brain. Will only ever have testosterone which is not meant for her female body and will not allow her female body to develop as it should.

Fucking GREAT! What could possibly go wrong?!

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 20/03/2021 11:37

Trans kids on puberty blockers go through puberty as soon as they start on estrogen or testosterone.

Have you got a citation for that? This is something I am really interested in as puberty is a very complex process, and I am interested in exactly what happens when a child goes from puberty blockers onto cross-sex hormones (plus my understanding was that transwomen in particular often continued to take testosterone blocking medication lifelong?

Original poster
Triffiddealer · 20/03/2021 11:37

So the answer is that it’s not been studied apart from sheep? I guess it would be a brave scientist that puts that forward as a possible thesis.

OP posts:
NecessaryScene1 · 20/03/2021 11:33

Do let us know if you find anything else!

That is the only paper I've heard of looking into that particular area. If gender clinics manage any research at all they're trying (generally unsuccessfully) to find positive effects on mental health, or doing some grudging monitoring of physical health. I don't think any have dared try to look for cognitive effects.

I've not actually gone looking though myself. I just monitor the media feeds...

Shizuku · 20/03/2021 11:31

Trans kids on puberty blockers go through puberty as soon as they start on estrogen or testosterone.

The psychological stress of not being affirmed is likely to have long term consequences of the brains of trans kids, possibly leading to lifelong mental health issues.

Original poster
Triffiddealer · 20/03/2021 11:09

Brilliant - thank you.

OP posts:
NecessaryScene1 · 20/03/2021 11:07

One study on sheep was referenced in Bell vs Tavistock.

I posted about it on this thread here.

Have a look through the links in that post - Malcolm's Twitter threads are great.

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