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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Tooth Fairy Science and Puberty Blocker Trials

43 replies

lcakethereforeIam · 01/10/2024 09:45

Article in the Critic by Helen Joyce

https://thecritic.co.uk/post-truth-medicine/

She's question the whole mountain of sand that presupposes the use of puberty blockers. I'm grateful for Cass but I wish she'd been a little bit braver on this.

Post-truth medicine | Helen Joyce | The Critic Magazine

Before the 19th century, doctors were feared rather than trusted. Their brutal, ineffective methods earned them nicknames like quack, leech and sawbone.

https://thecritic.co.uk/post-truth-medicine

OP posts:
SnakesAndArrows · 03/10/2024 20:29

Thank you. That’s quite depressing. I still hope that in the light of CASS this cannot go ahead.

SinnerBoy · 03/10/2024 21:50

Signalbox · Today 17:34

They managed to get ethical approval previously. I wonder why he thinks this time it would be different.

Probably because actual human beings have learned about it and gone, "Hang on a blinking minute ,,,, have you seen this mad shit they're selling?"

Anastomosisrex · 03/10/2024 22:19

I could be very cynical and say I anticipate a whole lot of special pleading that the normal rules be bent in terms of ethics and standard practice, and a fair chance that they will be. Which is the root of all the safeguarding failures this far: 'this is a special group who should be exempt from normal standards, protections etc as too limiting for them'.

But yes. Almost impossible to sort out the impact of the elements such as Autism, trauma, the children who just would have grown up gay or decipher how many gender questioning children would simply find their confusion and distress resolved by the process of puberty itself. Without a control group it's impossible. And how do you ethically sterilise some children as part of a trial? What happens two decades from now when those children come back and sue for the loss of their health, sexuality and fertility, and want to know why on earth they were experimented on in such a way mandated by the NHS/government?

UtopiaPlanitia · 03/10/2024 22:41

SnakesAndArrows · 03/10/2024 20:16

I agree it’s a risk, but ethics boards are not chosen by the trial designers.

GIDS’ research proposal was turned down by one ethics board and they kept going until they found a board that did give them the go ahead for the ‘research’ they were doing. And, as you read above, that research was not carried out in a standard manner.

SnakesAndArrows · 04/10/2024 07:47

UtopiaPlanitia · 03/10/2024 22:41

GIDS’ research proposal was turned down by one ethics board and they kept going until they found a board that did give them the go ahead for the ‘research’ they were doing. And, as you read above, that research was not carried out in a standard manner.

This is really upsetting to hear.

Signalbox · 04/10/2024 08:21

SnakesAndArrows · 03/10/2024 20:14

Did they? When?

Around 2011. It got buried because they didn’t get the results they wanted.

https://users.ox.ac.uk/~sfos0060/Biggs_ExperimentPubertyBlockers.pdf

Transgender Trend…

https://www.transgendertrend.com/the-tavistocks-experiment-with-puberty-blockers-part-5-the-belated-results/

https://users.ox.ac.uk/~sfos0060/Biggs_ExperimentPubertyBlockers.pdf

Anastomosisrex · 04/10/2024 08:46

That's it exactly. This is a field where medical science, as Helen Joyce says, is being used as the backdrop, but the predetermined desired outcome is the focus, and the wangling and bending of rules and policy and the hiding of bits of information that doesn't serve that outcome have been a normalised part of it. This is one of those situations where to insist on actual neutrality and objectivity, following standard ethics practice and fair reporting of results, will be termed as 'transphobic' as it impedes that desired outcome. It's nasty reality being bigoted again.

UtopiaPlanitia · 04/10/2024 13:59

SnakesAndArrows · 04/10/2024 07:47

This is really upsetting to hear.

Absolutely, very upsetting. All of this ideological wrangling and mucking about with the rules by the doctors, psychologists, and academics to promote their favoured theories has a real world negative effect on children and families.

SinnerBoy · 04/10/2024 15:23

Anastomosisrex · Yesterday 22:19

I could be very cynical and say I anticipate a whole lot of special pleading that the normal rules be bent in terms of ethics and standard practice, and a fair chance that they will be.

I fear that you're almost certainly correct. The only glimmer of light would be that, with all the attention it's had, there would at least be scrutiny and criticism from non-ideologues.

Igmum · 04/10/2024 19:10

Excellent article. Yes the danger is that special studies for special people aren't bound by the normal rules, though I think there's a lot more sunlight on this than there ever was on the Tavistock.

Edenvale · 05/10/2024 14:21

The bit I just can't get my head around is why? Why do people want to interfere with children's natural development? Why is it so prevalent? Why do people still push the idea of 'wrong body', 'go through wrong puberty' when there is little evidence of benefit and lots of evidence of harm? Why? Is it really to shore up a men's sexual rights movement?

MrsOvertonsWindow · 05/10/2024 14:30

Edenvale · 05/10/2024 14:21

The bit I just can't get my head around is why? Why do people want to interfere with children's natural development? Why is it so prevalent? Why do people still push the idea of 'wrong body', 'go through wrong puberty' when there is little evidence of benefit and lots of evidence of harm? Why? Is it really to shore up a men's sexual rights movement?

That's the big question isn't it?
The number of dodgy adults involved with this does suggest the worst of intentions from many of those involved. But because I do believe that the number of predators and paedophiles in society is vastly outweighed by good responsible adults I'd have to also go with intimidation & fear of bullying (it was transphobic to want to conduct research into all this not so very long ago). Along with an unforgivable pandering and failure to exercise due diligence about numerous queer theory activist groups who have been given unprecedented access to child healthcare, education, CAMHS and everywhere else that delivered services to children. 😑

Edenvale · 05/10/2024 14:43

I'm in the civil service and it seems the main focus is on trans, non-binary and intersex people. All our documents are gender neutral language, even the maternity and menopause policies. No mention of women, and when queried the answer is that they are written to support our trans, non-binary and intersex colleagues. What about the thousands and thousands of women?

MrsOvertonsWindow · 05/10/2024 16:31

Edenvale · 05/10/2024 14:43

I'm in the civil service and it seems the main focus is on trans, non-binary and intersex people. All our documents are gender neutral language, even the maternity and menopause policies. No mention of women, and when queried the answer is that they are written to support our trans, non-binary and intersex colleagues. What about the thousands and thousands of women?

That's what capture of the civil service looks like isn't it? An anti women ideology allowed to run rampant, silencing all dissent and legitimate other rights and views.
Very depressing, worrying as these are policy drafters for society and awful for women working there

Anastomosisrex · 05/10/2024 17:36

And that was the carefully planned aim.

To take over and control the people who control the language and the law and in that way everyone but the TQ interests could be subordinated and women's spaces and resources could be taken, they could be turned into resources and their equality and access could be destroyed. Waved on by the naive, well intentioned and stupid.

BonfireLady · 06/10/2024 08:15

MrsOvertonsWindow · 05/10/2024 16:31

That's what capture of the civil service looks like isn't it? An anti women ideology allowed to run rampant, silencing all dissent and legitimate other rights and views.
Very depressing, worrying as these are policy drafters for society and awful for women working there

Very much so, but there is also the "hero doctor" angle at play.

Although it's not about gender identity belief, this article that popped up on my newsfeed today really caught my eye as it's about that phenomenon in relation to autism, specifically non-verbal, "low functioning"** autism:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czj94xwwkkzo.amp

With my BBC impartiality scepticism, I'm unsure about whether they a providing a neutral or a biased framing of Rosemary Crossley in this article but at face value, it shows: a) how vulnerable the medical profession is to "hero doctors" who champion their approach b) how it is vulnerable people, such as those with autism, who end up losing in these scenarios. The parallel with the impact of gender identity belief being championed by hero doctors and the notably disproportionate proportion of autistic people who "identify as" something different from their sex is what struck me.

Also, I very much agree with your comment from just before the post that I've quote-grabbed:

But because I do believe that the number of predators and paedophiles in society is vastly outweighed by good responsible adults I'd have to also go with intimidation & fear of bullying (it was transphobic to want to conduct research into all this not so very long ago).

**from what I've read, Autism doesn't tend to be classed as high functioning or low functioning any more, possibly because their definitions got unhelpfully muddled. The original definitions referred to general ability to "function" in a societal context e.g. cognitive ability to use money in shops, use transport independently etc. Unfortunately these days people seem to use "high functioning" as a proxy for "academically clever" instead of "can catch the bus and buy groceries independently".

Tim Chan is sitting next to a stream in an outdoor area. There are trees visible behind him, and he is wearing a dark grey hooded sweatshirt and looking straight at the camera.

This miracle tool helps non-verbal people speak. Or does it? - BBC News

Experts say a tool supposedly helping nonverbal people speak is prompting false criminal allegations.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czj94xwwkkzo.amp

thirdfiddle · 06/10/2024 09:43

Helen Joyce does it again. She's articulated all the problems about potential clinical trials and set it out in beautiful ordered logical fashion.
A true journalist.
Has she tackled the suicide myth and its dangerous self-fulfilling nature? I'm sure she has but would love to see it set out as clearly as this in writing.

RethinkingLife · 06/10/2024 10:49

phenomenon in relation to autism, specifically non-verbal, "low functioning" autism:

I knew this would be facilitated communication. It's been debunked for decades but it's a zombie that just won't die.

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