Review shows no evidence of Puberty Blockers preventing suicide. Guardian article reports it.

[InpraiseofWomenhelpingWomen]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/19/review-dismisses-claims-youth-suicide-rose-after-nhs-curbed-puberty-blockers

It is interesting to see this being reported accurately in the Guardian. Depression is a common side effect of these drugs (GnRH agonists - aka Puberty Blockers), so it would be surprising if they decreased the risk of suicide.

Appleby has a superb research background and reputation.

I'd like to think this will be helpful to some parents who face wretched dilemmas.

I think there's already a thread on this but just wanted to say how reassuring it is to see actual facts from adults doing their best to reduce child suicides, particularly when set against JM's rant. It's deeply disturbing and contravenes so much good practice.

And yes ✊ to a quote from the LGB Alliance in the actual Guardian

Yes, I was going to add this to the other thread, but it struck me that the fact that this was reported in the Guardian was worth discussing as a major development in itself. I have never seen such clear, unbiased reporting on this issue in the Guardian before! It feels like the damn is finally breaking.

I have friends who still believe that there must be some truth in Trans ideology, because it says in the Guardian . . . These friends are neither stupid nor uneducated. They just don’t have time to investigate every issue in detail and assume that because “experts” state in the Guardian, the Trans ideology must be true. In fact, because they are highly educated, expert in their field and honest they can be more credulous - they assume “experts” in gender ideology are honest and well intentioned and have expert knowledge.

We were taught in medical school that we should be wary of adopting expert opinion uncritically. That is not to say we should discount opinions, or experience, but evidence should override opinion. Unfortunately, people often don’t have the time or the skills to research everything in detail. So we trust others to do the work for us and assume they will have good motives and are unbiased. I think this is why some people were so credulous when a few professionals set themselves up as “experts in gender treatment”, with no evidence and recommendations based on a wish list of biological implausibilities.

Absolutely. Factual articles like this are very much to be welcomed in the Guardian. There've been a few optimistic signs lately, but I can't see the Graun's official position changing under the current editorship, sadly.