DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Researcher’s fears of ‘weaponized’ data reignite focus on puberty-blocking drugs for transgender youth
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Brenda Goodman | Meg Tirrell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Some advocates for gender-affirming care for youth say the report mischaracterizes the normal caution being taken by researchers to carefully present and interpret scientific data. “They’re in really good shape when they come in, and they’re in really good shape after two years,” Olson-Kennedy told the Times. Her description appears to contradict the baseline characteristics of the 95 study participants, which were published in 2022. Numerous studies have documented high rates of suicide and suicidal thoughts in transgender children and teenagers, and the physical changes of puberty can greatly increase the distress of feeling trapped in the wrong body. Nine children – about 4% of the sample – expressed regret over puberty blockers or hormones, and four discontinued their therapy.

Persons: ”, Alex Keuroghlian, Johanna Olson, Kennedy, Olson, “, ” Olson, Amy Tishelman, Tishelman, ” Tishelman, –, What’s, Hilary Cass, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Jen Christensen Organizations: CNN, The New York Times, Education, Fenway Institute, Center, Transyouth Health, Children’s Hospital of Los, Times, Boston College, Endocrine, Endocrine Society, Cass, CNN Health, Trans Locations: Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Netherlands

☆ Why Is the U.S. Pretending to Know Gender-Affirming Care Works? - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Pamela Paul | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Imagine a comprehensive review of research on a treatment for children found “remarkably weak evidence” that it was effective. Now imagine the medical establishment shrugged off the conclusions and continued providing the same unproven and life-altering treatment to its young patients. It’s been three months since the release of the Cass Review, an independent assessment of gender treatment for youths commissioned by England’s National Health Service. Nor, she said, is there clear evidence that transitioning kids decreases the likelihood that gender dysphoric youths will turn to suicide, as adherents of gender-affirming care claim. Scandinavian countries have been moving away from the gender-affirming model for the past few years.

Persons: It’s, Dr, Hilary Cass, person’s, ”, ” Cass, Reem Alsalem Organizations: Cass, England’s National Health Service, Cass Review, United Nations Locations: United States, Germany, France, Switzerland, Scotland, Netherlands, Belgium

☆ Hilary Cass Says U.S. Doctors Are ‘Out of Date’ on Youth Gender Medicine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Azeen Ghorayshi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After 30 years as one of England’s top pediatricians, Dr. Hilary Cass was hoping to begin her retirement by learning to play the saxophone. Instead, she took on a project that would throw her into an international fire: reviewing England’s treatment guidelines for the rapidly rising number of children with gender distress, known as dysphoria. At the time, in 2020, England’s sole youth gender clinic was in disarray. The waiting list had swelled, leaving many young patients waiting years for an appointment. Staff members who said they felt pressure to approve children for puberty-blocking drugs had filed whistle-blower complaints that had spilled into public view.

Persons: Hilary Cass, England’s, “, Cass Organizations: Staff, National Health Service, Royal College of Pediatrics, Child Health

☆ The Question of Transgender Care - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( David Brooks | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It is about what the health care approach should be, and how best to help the growing number of children and young people who are looking for support from the N.H.S. For reasons that are also not clear, adolescents who were assigned female at birth are driving this trend, whereas before the late 2000s, it was mostly adolescents who were assigned male at birth who sought these treatments. One is that greater social acceptance of trans people has enabled people to seek these therapies. A third is that the rise of teen mental health issues may be contributing to gender dysphoria. In her report, Cass is skeptical of broad generalizations in the absence of clear evidence; these are individual children and adolescents who take their own routes to who they are.

Persons: Hilary Cass, Cass Organizations: National Health Service, Britain’s Royal College of Pediatrics, Child Locations: England, Cass

☆ Scotland Pauses Gender Medications for Minors
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Azeen Ghorayshi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Scotland’s National Health Service has stopped all new prescriptions of puberty-blocking drugs and other hormone treatments for minors, citing a sweeping review of youth gender services released in England last week. It is the sixth country in Europe to limit such treatments, and its changes are among the most restrictive. England and carried out by Dr. Hilary Cass, an independent pediatrician, over the course of four years, concluded that the evidence for benefits of youth gender treatments was “remarkably weak” and that pressing questions remained about potential long-term risks. This month, following recommendations by Dr. Cass, N.H.S. Hormone therapies, including estrogen and testosterone, are still available to teenagers in England aged 16 and up.

Persons: Hilary Cass, . Cass Organizations: Health Service, N.H.S Locations: England, Europe, N.H.S

☆ England Limits Youth Gender Medications, Part of Big Shift in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Azeen Ghorayshi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The National Health Service in England started restricting gender treatments for children this month, making it the fifth European country to limit the medications because of a lack of evidence of their benefits and concern about long-term harms. England’s change resulted from a four-year review released Tuesday evening by Dr. Hilary Cass, an independent pediatrician. “For most young people, a medical pathway will not be the best way to manage their gender-related distress,” the report concluded. In a related editorial published in a medical journal, Dr. Cass said the evidence that youth gender treatments were beneficial was “built on shaky foundations.”The N.H.S. England’s move is part of a broader shift in northern Europe, where health officials have been concerned by soaring demand for adolescent gender treatments in recent years.

Persons: Dr, Hilary Cass, Cass Organizations: National Health Service Locations: England, Europe

The UK government has promised to overhaul the youth gender care system, after it was deemed inadequate by England’s regulator of health and social care. They described a deeply flawed system that is now hobbled by a toxic political climate around gender care. The letter said a decision would be made at some point from early 2022 on whether the child “is likely to meet the access criteria” for gender care. The family has received no NHS gender care or mental health support since the referral, she said. These recommended supporting “identity exploration” and mental health treatment as the first steps to ensure that any psychological issues are addressed.

Search resuls for: "Hilary Cass"

7 mentions found