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Study on impact of puberty blockers on kids not published ‘over politics’

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A study examining the impact of puberty blockers on children won’t be published for political reasons, according to the study’s overseeing doctor. The study is being withheld because Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy believes its findings “might be weaponized” in arguments against transgender medical treatment for minors, according to her interview with the New York Times.

The issue of administering puberty blockers to children is highly politicized and central to multiple legal battles. More than 20 states have banned such treatments for minors. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on the matter next summer.

Dr. Olson-Kennedy is an advocate for transgender rights. She has also served as an expert witness in cases against states that have banned adolescent puberty blockers. Her team’s study involved 95 adolescents, averaging 11 years old, who were treated with puberty blockers to prevent the development of breasts and the natural deepening of their voices. The study followed these children for two years to track changes in their mental health.

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Dr. Olson-Kennedy stated that the puberty blockers didn’t lead to improvements in mental health. She explained that the children were already doing well when the study began.

However, the Times reported that this conclusion seemed to contradict an earlier description of the group. The earlier description indicated that one-quarter of the adolescents were depressed or suicidal before treatment.

According to Olson-Kennedy, her team hasn’t published the data because they don’t want their findings to be used politically.

“I do not want our work to be weaponized. It has to be exactly on point, clear, and concise. And that takes time,” she said.

Research on the use of puberty blockers in children is limited and findings vary. A study by the Sax Institute Review in Australia found that positive mental health outcomes outnumbered negative ones. The Journal of Sexual Medicine concluded that puberty suppression may be valuable in managing gender dysphoria in adolescents.

Conversely, a four-year study in the U.K. found no evidence supporting the use of transitioning drugs for children. The American College of Pediatricians stated there is no long-term study demonstrating the safety or efficacy of puberty blockers.

Between 2017 and 2021, more than 120,000 children ages 6 to 17 were treated for gender dysphoria, according to Reuters. Puberty blockers haven’t received FDA approval for treating this condition. A Washington Post poll indicated that 68% of Americans oppose providing puberty blockers to children ages 10 to 14. About 58% are against hormone treatments for those ages 15 to 17.

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[Karah]

A STUDY EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF PUBERTY BLOCKERS ON CHILDREN IS NOT BEING PUBLISHED FOR POLITICAL REASONS –

ACCORDING TO THE DOCTOR IN CHARGE.

THE STUDY THAT’S ALREADY NINE YEARS OLD – AND RECEIVED 10 MILLION DOLLARS IN TAX-PAYER FUNDING – ISN’T BEING RELEASED BECAUSE THE DOCTOR SAYS ITS FINDINGS “MIGHT BE WEAPONIZED” IN ARGUMENTS **AGAINST TRANSGENDER MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR KIDS.

IT’S A STORY THAT’S NOT BEING PICKED UP BY MOST NEWS OUTLETS WITH A LEFT-LEANING BIAS.

HOWEVER IT WAS THE NEW YORK TIMES – A LEFT-LEANING OUTLET – THAT FIRST INTERVIEWED THE DOCTOR AT THE CENTER OF THE STUDY.

IT WAS THEIR REPORT THAT GENERATED MANY HEADLINES FROM RIGHT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS.

LIKE THESE FROM THE NEW YORK POST, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, AND THE DAILY CALLER.

AS OF THURSDAY MORNING – MAINSTREAM NETWORKS LIKE CNN, ABC, NBC ARE AMONG THE LEFT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS THAT HAVE LEFT THE STORY OUT OF THEIR NEWS COVERAGE.

THIS COULD BE SEEN AS OVERSATURATION OF A NEWS STORY ON THE RIGHT.

AND STORY OMISSION BY THE LEFT.

THE ISSUE OVER GIVING CHILDREN PUBERTY BLOCKERS IS A POLITICALLY CHARGED ONE – AND IS THE CENTER OF MULTIPLE LEGAL BATTLES.

MORE THAN 20 STATES HAVE BANNED SUCH TREATMENTS ON KIDS –

AND THE SUPREME COURT IS NOW TAKING UP THE ISSUE WITH A RULING EXPECTED NEXT SUMMER.

DOCTOR JOHANNA OLSON-KENNEDY – IN CHARGE OF THIS STUDY – IS USED TO BEING AT THE CENTER OF CONTROVERSY.

SHE’S AN ADVOCATE FOR TRANSGENDER RIGHTS –

AND HAS BEEN USED AS AN “EXPERT WITNESS” TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY AGAINST STATES BANNING ADOLESCENT PUBERTY BLOCKERS AND GENDER-RELATED SURGERIES.

THE STUDY HER TEAM CONDUCTED INVOLVED 95 ADOLESCENTS AVERAGING 11 YEARS OLD.

THE CHILDREN WERE BEING TREATED WITH PUBERTY BLOCKERS TO PREVENT THINGS LIKE THE DEVELOPMENT OF BREASTS OR PREVENTING THEIR VOICE FROM NATURALLY DEEPENING.

THE STUDY FOLLOWED THE CHILDREN FOR TWO YEARS TO TRACK CHANGES IN THEIR MENTAL HEALTH.

ACCORDING TO OLSON-KENNEDY –

THE PUBERTY BLOCKERS DID NOT LEAD TO MENTAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS. OLSON-KENNEDY CLAIMS THAT’S BECAUSE THE CHILDREN WERE ALREADY DOING WELL WHEN THE STUDY BEGAN.

BUT ACCORDING TO THE TIMES REPORT –

“THAT CONCLUSION SEEMED TO CONTRADICT AN EARLIER DESCRIPTION OF THE GROUP (OF KIDS), IN WHICH DR. OLSON-KENNEDY AND HER COLLEAGUES NOTED THAT ONE QUARTER OF THE ADOLESCENTS WERE DEPRESSED OR SUICIDAL BEFORE TREATMENT.”

THE TIMES ALSO NOTES –

“Dr. Olson-Kennedy’s team has not published the data. Asked why, she said the findings might fuel the kind of political attacks that have led to bans of the youth gender treatments…

“I DO NOT WANT OUR WORK TO BE WEAPONIZED. IT HAS TO BE EXACTLY ON POINT, CLEAR, AND CONCISE. AND THAT TAKES TIME.”

RESEARCH ON THE USE OF PUBERTY BLOCKERS ON CHILDREN IS LIMITED –

AND THERE’S A MIXED BAG OF RESULTS.

A STUDY IN AUSTRALIA BY THE “SAX INSTITUTE REVIEW” FOUND “POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES OUTNUMBER THOSE WITH NEGATIVE OUTCOMES.”

THE JOURNAL OF SEXUAL MEDICINE FOUND “PUBERTY SUPPRESSION MAY BE CONSIDERED **VALUABLE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF GENDER DYSPHORIA IN ADOLESCENTS.”

A FOUR YEAR STUDY IN THE U-K  FOUND NO EVIDENCE SUPPORTING TRANSITIONING DRUGS FOR CHILDREN.

AND THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PEDIATRICIANS SAYS THERE IS NOT A SINGLE LONG-TERM STUDY TO DEMONSTRATE THE SAFETY OR EFFICACY OF PUBERTY BLOCKERS.

MORE THAN 120 THOUSAND children ages 6 to 17 were treated for “gender dysphoria” from 2017 to 2021.

PUBERTY BLOCKERS HAVE NOT RECEIVED FDA APPROVAL TO TREAT GENDER DYSPHORIA.

IN A WASHINGTON POST POLL – 68% OF AMERICANS ARE AGAINST PROVIDING PUBERTY BLOCKERS TO CHILDREN 10 TO 14 YEARS OLD.

58% ARE AGAINST HORMONE TREATMENTS FOR THOSE 15 TO 17 YEARS OLD.

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