I estimate only ~10% of children & young people who we might expect to see accessing transgender health care & support are doing so. This is due to the significant systemic barriers in accessing services. societal stigma, lack of GP support, Geographically distant locations, ££.
Today it is practically near impossible to access medical treatment for a 13 year old or older, simply due to the 4 year wait for medication & then aging out into adult services with further lengthy wait lists. This undoubtedly has an impact on the known demand for services.
Private care is filling this gap to some extent, though this introduces a cost barrier, difficult for those adolescents who are supported by family & impossible for those who are not. This relies upon supportive GPs willing to share care with a GMC suspended private provider.
Others are looking outside the UK altogether and seeking healthcare in Europe or USA. Based upon figures I've received from private providers I estimate another 500-1000 adolescents from England & Wales are accessing private treatment.
Then there is an unknown group of adolescents who are 'self-medding' that is purchasing drugs online with or without parental/family support, & without supporting baseline and monitoring blood tests. I estimate this group to be small - due to costs & perceived safety risks.
Even at the highest estimate I doubt whether self-medding is more than a few hundred individuals. Taking lowest prevalence est of 0.4% of population this still leaves a shortfall of ~23,000 trans youth who we would expect to be seeking treatment who are not. #nhsfailingtranskids
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The question whether the Cass review team carried out engagement with Trans communities is immaterial. The engagement was not genuine, views shared in good faith by children & young people, families & support services were absent from synthesis & final recommendations. #CassFlaws
The methodology of the Cass Review qualitiative research stated they would conduct 40 interviews, 20 with 12-18s and 20 with adults up to age 30. They managed only 14 and 12 respectively. 26 interviews which were jumped on by gender critcal parents & anti Trans 'ex trans' groups
I'll repeat, in terms of the research output, the Cass York team conducted only 14 interviews with Trans children. 14 not even meeting the miniscule target set out in their research methodology.
I'm working my way through the Cass Sytemic review on Clinical guidelines for children & adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria or incongruence: it is very difficult to lack of access to the standards they review. There are also methodological issues 1/adc.bmj.com/content/early/…
I'm going to talk about the two standards the Cass research team rated highest & which the Cass Final report is most closely matched to in terms of recommendations - namely The Swedish and Finland protocols 2/
It's important to note neither of these guidelines is published in English. Originally Cass research team had stated they would exclude non English language guidelines, this is repeated in the overarching criteria of the Cass Report (screenshot 1). However they made exceptions 3/
I've been looking at a paper cited in Cass (recreating a graph introducing new spelling errors). I have thoughts. It is an undergraduate author. No full is data provided - only 3 sets of extracts, which have 9 or 10 respondents 1 of which repeats in error. tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…
The methodology section doesn't state the survey was originally a questionnaire to understand current needs of detransitioners and to produce an information booklet about detransition. I wonder if ethics approval was given for this - any German Trans academics can help check?
The survey was shared on Twitter, Reddit (R/Detrans), Facebook & Instagram. I've looked at these posts. There was minimal interaction which makes me suspicious of the claimed 237 respondents - much higher than more publicised surveys ie Littman (2021) 101 responents in 4.5 months
I've been reading of the Finland youth gender centre in Tampere which the Cass review lauds. It was recently revealed the head of the centre is on the Cass advisory group. CW In following tweets I relate extremely disturbing accounts from parents & youth of what they endured 1/
This is by 'Spinner' for Kehraaja (Nightjar in Finnish) 19.3.2021 "Describe to me how you masturbate?" - the position of trans youth in the treatment system is bleak" 2/kehraaja.com/kuvaile-minull…
Content Warning in the article is as follows "we recommend using discretion when reading, as the text may shock readers. The text discusses, among other things, medical power and its use, possible violations of a child's sexual integrity, and measures aimed at trans youth." 3/
There is a bad science story in Today's Daily Mail. Where an anti Trans academic has published a new study - the headline claiming Puberty Blockers lowers IQ in Trans youth. It took me 5 mins to find the study.
Here's some quick fact checking on this research: 1/
1) The study 'The Impact of Suppressing Puberty on Neuropsychological Function' Baxindale S. is pre-print & has not been peer reviewed. It is not clear where or when it will be published. A quick review sees some common factors in anti Trans studies such as 'cherry picking' 2/
2) The 'Study' presents no new data, it is a literature review, front ended with common anti Trans talking points. Many of these look familiar to simliar outputs from the author including on anti Trans lobby group Transgender Trend's website. 3/
BREAKING: WPATH release statement on NHS Trans health interim service specification for children & young people "An unconscionable degree of state intusion into personal & family medical decision making" with "serious flaws...likely to cause enormous harm" #TransHealthCrisis
WPATH, ASIAPATH, EPATH, PATHA, and USPATH Response to NHS England Statement regarding the Interim Service Specification for the Specialist Service for Children and Young People with Gender Dysphoria (Phase 1 Providers) by NHS England* listloop.com/wpath/mail.cgi…
This is one of the best crafted, and referenced critiques I have ever read. To be issued by the deeply conservative WPATH & by all major international Trans health organisations, demonstrates just how far the NHS has strayed into moral panic over evidenced based Trans healthcare.