The 2006 Dutch study which first outlined the approach which became known as the “Dutch protocol” was sponsored by Ferring pharmaceuticals, who marketed Triptorelin- a puberty blocker (the millions of dollars of profits involved in this industry have yet to be officially documented). As the numbers were initially very small, few took notice of this niche market, however as the numbers began to grow, sharp-eyed women noticed the issues related to blocking children’s sexual development- and pioneering organisations 4th Wave Now and Transgender Trend decried these life-changing medical interventions on highly vulnerable children.
According to the “Dutch protocol”, in order to be eligible for puberty blockers, children subjected to these irreversible treatments must have gender dysphoria from an early age and experience a significant dip in the mood at the start of puberty. The Dutch also decreed that the patients need to be psychologically stable and have access to emotional support. However, this is not how it has played out. Instead, a brand new cohort has emerged, and these young teens, usually female, often autistic, and almost always very vulnerable, have created a huge and unexpected demand in gender clinics all over the world.
Until now, the Dutch seemed proud of their pioneering treatment, despite the fact that there is no long-term evidence base to support it. For the first time, with this article, the Dutch are engaging in some self-reflection on their harmful and astonishingly heavy-handed approach.
“According to the Swedish review (2021), the available data are not sufficient to properly assess the effects on gender dysphoria, psychosocial conditions, cognitive functioning, and physical health. ’The risks currently outweigh the possible benefits,’ says the Swedish health authority. The Finnish report (2020) comes to a similar conclusion, as does the British ‘Cass Review’ (2022). The leading British pediatrician Hilary Cass condemned the British application of the Dutch protocol and, based on her report, the Tavistock gender clinic, the largest in the world, was immediately closed.”
The harm that the Dutch protocol has unleashed upon the world is becoming increasingly recognized. In their article, Kuitenbrouwer and Vasterman recognize the reality: “puberty blockers are not a ‘pause button’ but a self-fulfilling prophecy. Almost all treated children move from puberty blockers to cross-sex hormones at 16. In practice, puberty blockers do not appear to be a pause button for reflection, but the start button for transition.”
“More and more is becoming known about the long-term side effects of puberty blockers. They interfere with physical sexual development, hinder the development of the bones, can cause anorgasmia and infertility and interfere with the ability to make rational decisions.”
While positive results for young people eighteen months after irreversible treatment should certainly be noted, the decision not to offer regular follow-ups on these 55 participants is extraordinary to the point of suspicious. These studies are the entire reason why thousands of children all across the world have had their sexual development blocked in a bid to help them medically transition, among zealous trans lobby groups, these studies are considered the gold standard – and yet an examination of the results quickly raises eyebrows among seasoned researchers.
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