Streeting declares the puberty blocker trial 'safe'

[ArabellaSaurus]

https://archive.ph/CFzK4

'On Monday, Mr Streeting reiterated that he was not “comfortable” with the trial, which involves more than 200 people under the age of 16, but said there were significant “checks, balances and safeguards” that made it safe.

He told Sky News: “The thing I’ve had to continually weigh up is that for lots of people who have been through this sort of gender identity treatment, they describe it as life-affirming and life-saving. But there is an understandable degree of public anxiety and concern.

“The crucial reassurance is that not just anyone will be able to sign up to this trial. They will go through extensive assessment by expert clinicians locally that will be reviewed nationally, and every young person would need to assent.
“They’re not old enough to consent. They would need to assent, and they would <a class="break-all" href="https://archive.ph/o/CFzK4/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/17/children-cannot-consent-puberty-blocker-trial-wes-streeting/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">need the consent of parents.

“And so there are lots of checks, balances, oversights and safeguards and constant monitoring in a way that disgracefully wasn’t there before. That’s what gives me the confidence and assurance of knowing this trial is safe.

“There is a debate about whether this is the right thing to do. I understand that, and there’s one thing we’ve learnt about this particular area of policy is that we shouldn’t silence, debate, dissent, disagreement.

“So we’ll continue to have that, and we’ll continue to be subject to scrutiny and challenge.”

Mr Streeting admitted that the children who will be involved in the trial are “very young” and that the drugs are “very strong”.

But he claimed he had tried to take the “politics out of what has been an extremely <a class="break-all" href="https://archive.ph/o/CFzK4/www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11/25/nhs-puberty-blockers-trial-repeat-tavistock-whistleblowers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">difficult and sensitive issue”.

Despite the research going ahead, the Health Secretary added: “I think there are still big questions about how we ever ended up in this situation where these sorts of drugs were being routinely prescribed with and we’re continuing to get into that and looking.
“There’ll be another study looking at what’s happened to that cohort of young people over time.”'

What have you made the families sign, Wes? Let's see the small print. What come back will those kids have in adulthood if you're wrong?

https://can-sg.org/2025/12/18/open-letter-to-wes-streeting-on-the-pathways-puberty-blockers-trial/

They will go through extensive assessment by expert clinicians locally that will be reviewed nationally, and every young person would need to assent

So Mr Streeting, can you explain what is meant by 'gender incongruence' and what it is that you think is being treated?

Can you also explain what you think 'puberty' is, and why you think it might be helpful to 'block' it?

" for lots of people who have been through this sort of gender identity treatment, they describe it as life-affirming and life-saving"

And what about the ones who had this 'treatment' and then decided it had ruined their life?

We're the grownups. We know this is insanity. He should too.

What are they assessing Wes and why is sterilisation the cure?

I can't believe this is happening in the UK in 2026, it's like nazi Germany, but aided and abetted by our government. Fucks sake.

' ..there are still big questions about how we ever ended up in this situation where these sorts of drugs were being routinely prescribed with and we’re continuing to get into that and looking.
“There’ll be another study looking at what’s happened to that cohort of young people over time.”''

We ended up there because people who know better failed to stand up to pressure, manipulation, and deceit. Like you're doing now, Wes.

Also - that cohort is the same as this cohort. It's turtles, all the way down.

Where is the evidence that people have died because they didn't have this treatment?

Where is the evidence of these deaths in the 60s? 70s? 80s?

I mean there is evidence that suidicality increases post 'transition'.

He looked genuinely uncomfortable speaking to Sky this morning. Then he did the usual word salad about gender affirming care etc. When he asks how we ended up here he should be aware of the social contagion that has fuelled this.

When Karen Carpenter dies of anorexia there was an uptick in girls with anorexia.

When cutting/self harm started to appear in films - uptick in society.

This trial is openly recruiting very vulnerable people and it is a scandal. Puberty is a natural thing and navigating it requires care and support not strong drugs which often lead to cross sex hormones and surgery.

I wish the media would get Keira Bell front and centre of this.

I had posted a link I perhaps should not have done linking to KB fundraiser-happy for it to be removed it was more to highlight her story.

“There’ll be another study looking at what’s happened to that cohort of young people over time.”

Hang on a minute. I thought we were told that there couldn't be a retrospective study and that's why we had to have a new set of children to experiment on.

Methinks Streeting talks out of both sides of his mouth.

"But he claimed he had tried to take the “politics out of what has been an extremely difficult and sensitive issue?"

GI/Trans has been political movement from the beginning, if you take the politics out there is no GI.

Get the politics out of healthcare Mr Streeting, stop using vulnerable children as political props, and give them the heath care they genuinely need, and that is not PB's.

What a weaselly man. 🤬

The trial, which involves more than 200 CHILDREN under 16 . Children, Mr Streeting, children.

Life - affirming treatment, hmm? How come there's no study into starvation for children? After all, when a child under 16 feels that starving herself is life-affirming, why do we deny her?

The more you think about it the more it is just horrific. Wes Streeting was clear in that the children could not consent so someone would do that on their behalf. Assent I think was the term he used.

That's the wording/means used in the study. The parents 'consent'. The children are asked for 'assent'.

'for lots of people who have been through this sort of gender identity treatment, they describe it as life-affirming and life-saving'

Who are these people? Is this the retrospective trial they've been talking about? Or just randoms on the internet? Why should we, or Mr Streeting, believe them or give their opinion any weight? Also what is 'lots'? What proportion?

The evidence of children who've had their puberty blocked is out there. Go and fucking find it and look at it!

He's sort of admitting that the data on historic use of PB will be less than ideal because the wrong children were given them and the checks and followups werent adequate.

So they have data, but its not relevant to children who would be given now? And some children would be taken off them more quickly, knowing what we do now?

Whats the difference between a child given them ten years ago and now? And do the parents know the outcome of the historic data?

Very good point.

Equally: this child is so distressed they need life saving action - is there really no other action save sterilising them and potentially making them a lifelong chronically ill patient with significant neurological developmental delay? Really? Nothing?

It's like 'oh it's a very distressed man who doesn't identify as a man' - is there really no other option to meet his needs but subjugating the entire female half of the human race and removing their privacy and dignity?

Of course there bloody is. It isn't about it being the only way, it's about it being the desired way. With reasons and agendas that aren't being honestly admitted to and talked about for PR reasons. And the word in response is 'no'. And sticking it out through the tantrums and drama, and then focusing on what can reasonably be offered.

Ffs, if we're about to say we're removing all support from SEND kids regardless, and that will be actually dangerous, we can bloody say no to this group too. What's the diff? Why does the distress of the first group of kids and families mean nothing and the public are being primed in the press to deride them, but the second group.... oh gosh, get the headless chickens out, we MUST DO what they want.

No. Not buying it.

Streeting should also be asking himself why these children need to be prevented from reaching sexual maturity when so many trans people evidently manage to go through puberty and still live their lives.

He should be asking what message he is sending by endorsing the idea that life might not be worth living if one can't attempt to remain pre-pubescent for ever.

What message is he sending by suggesting that a woman and pre-pubescent boy are equivalent? In what kind of environment might this idea be proposed?

Streeting describes what is meant by assent in this earlier article

Children cannot consent to puberty blocker trial, Streeting admits

Explaining the “assent” process, Mr Streeting said it involved “repeating back to the clinician what the risks are and why they would want to go through them”.

So that's fine then. The children can parrot back to the clinician what they have been told and say 'Yes, I want to do this.' Even though they have no understanding of what it would be like to be an infertile adult with impaired sexual function.

What on earth is the purpose of a child 'assenting' to something that they can't possibly understand?

This just blows my mind.

Thanks to all here for posting these well thought out criticisms. I will use them to reply to my lib dem MP who sent me a c+p response to my email raising concerns about the trial.

We ended up there because people who know better failed to stand up to pressure, manipulation, and deceit. Like you're doing now, Wes.

This

There's nothing that I can see that would mean that, even at this stage, it can't be stopped. So who is pressuring it to go ahead? And why are they being listened to? Why can't we have names as to who is pushing for it?