Transgender children can receive puberty blockers if parents consent, High Court judge rules
by Nick Duffy, iNews:
Transgender children can get puberty-blocking drugs without the need to go to court as long as their parents agree to the treatment, a High Court judge has said.
The family of a 15-year-old transgender girl, identified only as XY, had sought clarity after the same court last year found that under-16s are incapable of giving their consent for hormone blockers, which delay the onset of puberty.
The NHS Gender Identity Development Service, run by the Tavistock and Portman Trust, had initially concluded that if patients cannot give their consent to the treatment, a court order must be sought on every occasion in which the drugs are used.
However, Mrs Justice Lieven said on Friday that even if XY is not considered competent to give consent, her parents “retain the parental right” to consent on her behalf.
She wrote: “They are adults with full capacity and, as the people who know their child best and care for them the most, will be in a position to reach a fully informed decision.
“The evidence strongly suggests that XY’s parents have fully considered these matters and come to a careful and informed decision. The gravity of the decision to consent to puberty blockers is very great, but it is no more enormous than consenting to a child being allowed to die.”
Please right-click links to open in a new window.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
