Where did the 'fact' that puberty blockers are reversible come from?

I know the discussion here is on the drugs, but I would be interested also on knowing more about puberty itself. For example, is each individual “programmed”, for want of a better term, to start puberty at a particular age? Is precocious puberty due to external factors like exposure to hormones, or a disorder of the endocrine system or just that individual’s body doing its thing?

the reason I’m asking is because I had a vague idea that puberty happening is inexorable like all other growth from birth to adulthood. It will happen when your body decides it’s time to happen. So when you take drugs to postpone it, if you desist after that window, your body will be “too late, you’ve missed the slot”. And you can take some (correct sex) hormones that will replicate some features of an adult body but the long term health implications are many and serious.

I think these are very relevant questions and I would also be interested in understanding this better.

thanks - so a girls “puberty window” could be shifted by her weight?

Ah ok, that makes sense. Restarting a delayed male puberty is a bit different to the situation where you may now be a male with breasts.

Might it be this one? https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01053

I know the discussion here is on the drugs, but I would be interested also on knowing more about puberty itself. For example, is each individual “programmed”, for want of a better term, to start puberty at a particular age? Is precocious puberty due to external factors like exposure to hormones, or a disorder of the endocrine system or just that individual’s body doing its thing?

the reason I’m asking is because I had a vague idea that puberty happening is inexorable like all other growth from birth to adulthood. It will happen when your body decides it’s time to happen. So when you take drugs to postpone it, if you desist after that window, your body will be “too late, you’ve missed the slot”. And you can take some (correct sex) hormones that will replicate some features of an adult body but the long term health implications are many and serious.

is that right?

Not true that they are not causing issues when used for precocious puberty. A previous poster has already mentioned a study that found serious effects that only emerged in adulthood including low bone density and (I think) fertility problems. I also remember reading a study which found reduction in IQ in children after treatment, but I can't find it now. Anyone else know that study?

I would expect any parent who has made this decision for their child should have done a huge depth of research about the topic though. We have no idea what drug has been prescribed to which patient, whether it is for transition or precocious puberty, but it is not hard to find the Lupron issues and go from there.

You might expect it, but a lot of people won't do this. In my experience, most people trust their doctors to give the right advice and prescribe the right medication. Very few go off and read research papers and find the information written for medical professionals. At most they read the patient information leaflet or perhaps something on the NHS website.

Archive link.
https://archive.li/cyJsl

Yes, that's exactly what happens. Here's one child giving their story.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/transgender-children-puberty-blocking-drugs-for-the-past-four-years-i-ve-been-stuck-as-a-child-5s6tkh7z2

“They promise you that your breasts will disappear, that your voice will be deeper, that I would look and sound more like a boy. For me, that was the best thing that could have happened,” he said.

Only, Jacob found that wasn’t what happened at all. Far from becoming one of the lads, as he’d hoped, he felt even more alienated from them as their physiques changed and Jacob’s remained the same.

Doesn't sound like informed consent to me.

I'll put an archive link in a separate post as it may be hidden by MN. Or you can just put the link into archive dot ph if you don't have a subscription to the Times.

I would expect any parent who has made this decision for their child should have done a huge depth of research about the topic though. We have no idea what drug has been prescribed to which patient, whether it is for transition or precocious puberty, but it is not hard to find the Lupron issues and go from there.

Once you begin to see the issues for Lupron, the questions start to pile up about the drugs as a class. Because how much of it is the specific drug and how much of it is that break in development, if you know what I mean.

The comment from dadjoke earlier is an example of the misinformation and empty assurances that are out there in the public sphere. And how fucking dangerous spreading that misinformation is.

The reality is hard to read and confronting.

And in my opinion, the real reality should be explicit and it should be clearly stated. The biggest issue is that it seems very hard to find that information. Even the NHS is very ambiguous.

It is like searching for the negative side effects of wearing binders. There is so much content downplaying the negative effects that the reality is not seen. This is deliberate in my opinion. Because even those organisations that should be explicit and very clear are giving that dangerous misinformation and assurances that ‘the benefits outweigh the risks’.

Whereas, if you know about Lupron and move away from that term ‘puberty blocker’, the search results cannot be overwhelmed.

I shudder to think how horrible the kids at my secondary school would have been to someone on puberty blockers. They must stand out like a sore thumb. Even with active intervention by the school I doubt you could stamp it out entirely. Hardly what you want from an intervention supposedly done on mental health grounds.

Yes this may have happened.

You would think a gender clinic prescribing these drugs would have kept records and found out, right? I mean if a not particularly knowledgeable person could think to ask this question, surely qualified doctors would?

I'm not particularly knowledgeable, but couldn't a boy who'd missed puberty just take testosterone to commence development of male attributes?

Yes, fair point. They were my words and I should have chosen them more carefully.
What was foremost in my mind at this point was reassuring the poster who was concerned about their own child who had precocious puberty.

I should definitely have chosen my words better. As with any treatment, there are side effects and there is a weighing up of risk/benefit that the doctor will set out so that the patient (or parent of the patient in the case of children) can make an informed choice.

Informed choice is possible in this scenario because it's licensed, so the information (on which the choice can be made) is there. By contrast, the "informed choice" for their use in gender dysphoria treatment is a misnomer. The data isn't there on which to be informed because there has been no clinical testing.