NHS England has confirmed children will no longer routinely be prescribed puberty blockers at gender identity clinics. The decision comes after a review found there was “not enough evidence” they are safe or effective. Puberty blockers will now only be available as part of research. This puts England in line with several European countries who have been putting strict eligibility requirements, usually in the context of a tightly controlled research setting.
A 2022 Swedish report concluded that the “scientific basis is not sufficient” to continue to conduct hormone treatments on children without further research. The risks are likely to outweigh benefits. In Denmark youth referrals no longer get a prescription for puberty blockers, hormones or surgery; instead they receive therapeutic counseling and other support services. In France, it is recommended the “greatest reserve” when considering puberty blockers or hormone treatments, with a risk of “over-diagnosis”.
Finland has adopted the Dutch Protocol for pediatric gender medicine which has a strict set of criteria for treatment eligibility with psychotherapy throughout. A Finnish review of evidence indicated support of hormonal interventions for adolescents are of “very low” certainty. Dutch clinicians who pioneered the use of puberty blockers have subsequently observed that some patients who transitioned under a strictly adhered to version of the Dutch Protocol appear to have substantial reproductive regret, body shame and sexual dysfunction.
Stonewall in contrast has voiced its concern about the new NHS policy. “All trans young people deserve access to high quality, timely healthcare”, a spokesperson said. “For some, an important part of this care comes in the form of puberty blockers, a reversible treatment that delays the onset of puberty, prescribed by expert endocrinologists, giving the young person extra time to evaluate their next steps. We are concerned that NHS England will be putting new prescriptions on hold until a research protocol is up and running at the end of 2024.”
The NHS connection with Stonewall has an intriguing synastry given that the NHS has been cravenly submissive to Stonewall’s coercive control for years.
The NHS, 5 July 1948, is a caring Sun Cancer square Neptune; with a Gemini stellium including the Moon and an enduring Saturn Pluto in Leo square the Taurus North Node/Scorpio South Node opposition.
Stonewall, 24 May 1989 also has a Gemini stellium including the Sun; and the triple conjunction of Uranus, Saturn, Neptune in Capricorn opposition Mars in Cancer; with Mars trine Pluto – custom-built for determined action and reform, but not always sensible or compassionate as crusading zeal (Aquarius North Node) goes too far.
Stonewall’s Mars is conjunct the NHS Sun for an argumentative interface with Stonewall’s Neptune Saturn in opposition the NHS Sun hinting at uncertainty and a degree of smokescreening? – and Stonewall’s Pluto is conjunct the NHS’s South Node pulling it backwards.
The relationship chart has a controlling, power-imbalance composite Sun Venus square Pluto which has been undermined recently and will continue to be so by tr Neptune hard aspects into 2025. Tr Pluto is exactly square the composite Saturn at the moment and will continue to sextile the composite Uranus till late this year. With a highly strung (probably argumentative) tr Uranus opposition Neptune from July this year onwards.
This month’s Lunar Eclipse is also conjunct the composite South Node giving a wake-up call about the joint direction chosen.
Stonewall is facing an uncertain path ahead especially from 2025/6 onwards as tr Neptune starts to square the triple conjunction hitting Uranus first and tr Uranus will square the Sun. It is likely to fade towards the end of the decade altogether.
Stonewall are not medical people. Children are not to be sacrificed in the pursuit of gender equality.
Thanks Marjorie, I’d been reading your July 2022 post for further enlightenment on this knotty topic. It’s interesting about Stonewall’s Saturn/Neptune in Capricorn opposing the NHS Cancer Sun in the traditional ‘parental’ 4th/10th house signs.
I looked up the 1995 trans children’s charity, Mermaids, and see it was registered as a charity on 20th February, 2015 (Charity Commission), and that there’s a statutory enquiry into its governance and management as of late 2022.
Mermaids’ Uranus is 14 Aries, square Pluto 14 Capricorn – also a challenge to the NHS Sun. Also interesting about this date is that Venus moves into Aries at 20.07pm that day, while Mars enters Aries at 0.12. Male and female, yin and yang planets in transition from water to fire. Either way, Neptune transit approaches. A Saturn 4 Sagittarius square Neptune 7 Pisces is maybe giving a similar feeling to Stonewall’s Saturn conjunct Neptune.
The Moon’s Nodes, 10 Libra, are conjunct the NHS Neptune, with October’s Solar Eclipse right there. That eclipse does keep on cropping up in various contexts. Separation and loss are part of it’s meaning, according to Bernadette Brady.