Hi Dick, I’m a transgender person who is also a biologist and I do advocacy work for my community.
No reputable medical agency supports your claims, the social contagion theory, or the “dangers” of puberty suppression. Studies have been published, yes, but you have to look at the author’s biases, accreditation, and the journal’s status. The UK in particular has been pushing vehemently transphobic laws and guidelines, as there is a large push to say that trans women aren’t real women. (Many of those people also deny the existence of non-binary people, and think that trans men and transmasculine people are just confused girls.) None of this is true.
The Cass report in specific is extremely under-researched, uses junk data and junk science, and contains many inconsistencies. You can read more about those errors here: https://www.gendergp.com/response-to-the-cass-review/
These US and worldwide health organizations directly support transgender children, youth, and adults. These are all legitimate organizations based in science and well-studied medicine.
The following have issued statements in support of health care for transgender people and youth:
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Dermatology
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Association of Clinical Endocrinology
American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry
American College Health Association
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American College of Physicians
American Counseling Association
American Medical Student Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Society of Plastic Surgeons
American Society for Reproductive Medicine
American Urological Association
Federation of Pediatric Organizations
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality
The Journal of the American Medical Association
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
National Association of Social Workers
Pediatrics (Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics ) and Seattle Children’s Hospital
United States Professional Association for Transgender Health (USPATH)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Professional Association for Transgender Health
I have several written and highly researched pieces on these topics that I will post for you to read, including sources. I will put them in separate comments after this first piece on puberty blocking.
Puberty Blockers:
Puberty blocking is not permanent and can be stopped and started safely! Puberty blockers have been safely used with cis (or assumed cis) children to treat precocious puberty (the medical term for early puberty) or to treat puberty that is happening too fast for decades. In the US, which is where my experience comes from, puberty blockers are regulated and approved by the FDA, and are extremely well studied.
Adults can take the same drugs labeled as puberty blockers (medically called called GnRH analogues) and are used to treat some forms of breast and prostrate cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome, and endometriosis (with varying results and very different risk profiles for adults than for children). These GnRH analogues were prescribed off label since the early 1980’s to treat precocious puberty, and the US FDA officially approved them for on-label puberty development since 1993.
And they are just as safe and effective for trans and non-binary youth. Potential side effects for children are a slight loss in bone density, which is treated by vitamin D and calcium supplements and physical activity; weight gain or loss, hotflashes (especially if puberty wasn’t suppressed before the onset), and headaches. But for most people, puberty blockers save lives, and most adults who were on puberty blockers as children report that the benefits outweighed the risks.
Many trans adults feel like they went through a horrible process with their first puberty, and are stuck with features that would not have developed had they had been given access to puberty blockers early on. Puberty blockers for trans and non-binary youth are used to halt puberty until the youth is of a sufficient age to start making safe decisions for themselves. And if that youth later determines that they aren’t trans or don’t want to have an alternative puberty, the puberty blocker is stopped and the youth proceeds as typical through puberty for the given driving hormone (estrogen or testosterone).
When a youth reaches teenager status then they and their guardian have a discussion with their doctor to determine if they can start HRT. This is an appropriate time because most youth will have a solid idea of their gender identity at this age, and they can proceed with their correct puberty at an age that is similar to their peers. HRT can have permanent changes, but it is safe to stop. If the teenager isn’t sure, they can remain on puberty blockers up to the age of 18, generally. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) updated in their recent revision that HRT can be started as early as 14 or 15, but it’s okay to stay on puberty blockers for longer!
References:
WPATH Standards of Care v. 8: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/26895269.2022.2100644
More info on puberty blockers in children: https://www.gendergp.com/puberty-blockers-bone-health-for-transgender-youth/
Additional info from the Mayo Clinic on blockers: Puberty blockers for transgender and gender-diverse youth - Mayo Clinic
Study on bone health of youth on puberty blockers: Bone health in transgender people: a narrative review - PMC
Great study from the American Academy of Pediatrics about comprehensive care for trans and gender-diverse youth https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/142/4/e20182162/37381/Ensuring-Comprehensive-Care-and-Support-for?autologincheck=redirected
Children’s Hospital Boston page on precocious puberty Precocious Early Puberty | Boston Children's Hospital
Cleveland Clinic page on precocious puberty Precocious Puberty - Early Puberty: Symptoms & Causes
Yoo, 2016 Effects of early menarche on physical and psychosocial health problems in adolescent girls and adult women https://www.e-cep.org/journal/view.php?doi=10.3345/kjp.2016.59.9.355
Cohen-Kettenis et. al, 2011, “Puberty Suppression in a Gender-Dysphoric Adolescent: A 22-Year Follow-Up” Puberty Suppression in a Gender-Dysphoric Adolescent: A 22-Year Follow-Up - PMC
McGregor et. al, 2023, Association of Pubertal Blockade at Tanner 2/3 With Psychosocial Benefits in Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth at Hormone Readiness Assessment https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X23005608