Doctors fear young at risk from ‘black-market trans hormones’

[Igneococcus]

Not sure this has been shared anywhere yet:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/1809881b-e46f-4b96-8ccc-4c89667d19f8?shareToken=51472db790f46db6ec6a5342017443ab

Thanks @Igneococcus will read it later.
I was going to start a thread about these idiots who held a DIY medicating session in Glasgow including giving information on how to get needles etc. But I think it's better on this thread

https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/fury-over-trans-activists-holding-36796656?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

These people need to be charged to the fullest extent of the law. Disgraceful behaviour.

Imagine if there was a group that said, "well teens are going to self harm anyway, at least we're giving them clean razorblades and encouraging them to go to the doctor and get sewn up if the cuts are likely to be fatal".

Horrifying and, what seems to be new, in plain sight.

I do wish there wasn't this lazy (or uninformed?) conflation of puberty blockers with cross sex hormones though. Minors (and indeed arguably adults) shouldn't be taking either, but the legal status of the two is different. It matters when trying to clamp down on this kind of thing (assuming they actually do).

TBF Cass has done a variation on this...

Because children might get their hands on black market PBs to permanently stop themselves going through puberty.... ever.... and we're not entirely sure how bad the brain damage will be... according to Cass, we should hold a trial where we can do the experiment ourselves and collect research data.

#BrainExperimentation
#MengeleDidThat

I do think there's an argument to be with, for example, needle exchange programs which arguably did reduce the spread of HIV. There's a weaker argument to be made with respect to methadone programs and injection sites. Harm reduction programs do have rational arguments behind them and a body of evidence, but even in the later two cases, where the policy objective is reducing drug use to zero but doing so minimising harms that do occur, there's a powerful argument to be made that those programs, in practice, service as secondary vectors for spreading drug abuse, which has a strong social component.

Given that, I would highly question a harm reduction model for administering hormones to minors.

IMO this is a case for just making transitioning being seen as cosmetic.

It’s not healthcare, but adults can get it from a regulated clinic if they pay for it just like boobs jobs and Botox. Stamp out the black market but let adults do what they want as long as they pay for it.

Give them free heroin at age 8. They are going to do it anyway.

Teach them how to be a junky without ODing. They might end up with terrible life long health problems but that's ok as long as they aren't dead.

These arguments do not wash well for minors though.

If it's minors you look at safeguarding them and removing the risk to them. And appointing appropriate guardians / care to stop harm.

That was approximately my point, probably poorly stated.

I would only agree with that if the patient was forced to pay for all the treatment they will need from all the side effects of these drugs and surgeries, basically the NHS should not be paying a penny for or treating patients for gender ideological reasons with anything but therapy.