by Philippa Roxby and Alison Holt , BBC
Details of a new UK clinical trial to assess the risks and benefits of puberty-blocking drugs in children who question their gender have been announced.
It follows the banning of the drugs for gender treatment last year after a major review raised concerns about the lack of clinical evidence over their safety for under-18s.
Researchers from King’s College London say the trial will involve around 220 children under the age of 16 who are going through puberty, and will examine the impact of the drugs on their physical, social and emotional wellbeing.
Some clinicians and campaigners question whether the trial is ethical.
Prof Emily Simonoff, study leader and professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at King’s College London (KCL), told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that young people and their parents attending services for gender distress “tell us that they don’t know what to do – they look at the information that’s out there and they don’t know what’s best for them”.
But she said the study was not expecting a “one size fits all finding”.
“We are looking very much at the balance between, possibly, benefits for mental health and quality of life, and any possible risks or harms.”
She added this would include monitoring people’s physical health, and would also be the first ever study looking at the impact on brain development.