New Research Challenges Claim That Access to Puberty Blockers Prevents Youth Suicides

Jun 16, 2022 by Jill

by Terri Wu, Epoch Times:

New Heritage Foundation research shows that access to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones does not reduce youth suicide rates. This challenges a key argument that such access to gender transition drugs saves lives.

Jay Greene, a senior research fellow at the conservative think tank’s center for education policy, authored a report on the findings, hoping the new evidence would allow policymakers to take more cautious and deliberate approaches to set regulations.

“Policymakers and parents are essentially being emotionally blackmailed with the threat that if they don’t make these drugs widely and readily available, young people will kill themselves,” Greene told The Epoch Times. “And this short circuits all other kinds of discussions and considerations because it’s such a horrific thing. No one wants to be responsible for that.”

The analysis measured suicide rates in the age group between 12 and 23—the age range of recipients of gender transition drugs—in two state groups: 33 states plus D.C. requiring parental consent for minors to undergo routine medical care and 17 states that don’t require approval from parents.

These legal provisions were for any health care, not on gender-related care only. Greene said including all in the age group would avoid isolating individuals from the impact of their social contagion.

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