Dr. Hilary Cass

Yeah, so there's always two views because it's never a simple answer and probably elements of both of those things apply. Although actually the environment doesn't seem to have got friendlier to trans people. It seems to be a lot more hostile at the moment. And that's a real worry to me for those young people who are going to go on and have a trans identity. Yeah.

Yeah, so there's always two views because it's never a simple answer and probably elements of both of those things apply. Although actually the environment doesn't seem to have got friendlier to trans people. It seems to be a lot more hostile at the moment. And that's a real worry to me for those young people who are going to go on and have a trans identity. Yeah.

But having said that, it doesn't really make sense to have such a dramatic increase in numbers that has been really exponential. It's been like a vertical line going up that's happened in a really narrow time frame across the world. Just social acceptance just doesn't happen in that way so dramatically anymore. So that doesn't make sense as the full answer.

But having said that, it doesn't really make sense to have such a dramatic increase in numbers that has been really exponential. It's been like a vertical line going up that's happened in a really narrow time frame across the world. Just social acceptance just doesn't happen in that way so dramatically anymore. So that doesn't make sense as the full answer.

But equally, those who say, oh, this is just social contagion are also not taking account of how complex and nuanced this is and how many different factors are impacting it. Having said all of that, I think that there are many things that we need to think about that are different for girls growing up in Gen Z. It's a very, very different world and it's quite tough.

But equally, those who say, oh, this is just social contagion are also not taking account of how complex and nuanced this is and how many different factors are impacting it. Having said all of that, I think that there are many things that we need to think about that are different for girls growing up in Gen Z. It's a very, very different world and it's quite tough.

I mean, let me put a hypothetical situation to you that you're a girl in early puberty who may be struggling with their sexual identity, who may have been anxious about some of the things they've seen in terms of early access to pornography, doesn't fit in socially, doesn't feel that they're meeting the sort of social media stereotypes that are expected of girls and puberty feels pretty hideous.

I mean, let me put a hypothetical situation to you that you're a girl in early puberty who may be struggling with their sexual identity, who may have been anxious about some of the things they've seen in terms of early access to pornography, doesn't fit in socially, doesn't feel that they're meeting the sort of social media stereotypes that are expected of girls and puberty feels pretty hideous.

And then somebody stops the puberty. I think you may well feel a huge sense of relief and a temporary improvement in your mental health just because you've taken that away. But is that necessarily the right pathway for addressing those things or are there other ways? So, yes, you might see a temporary improvement there.

And then somebody stops the puberty. I think you may well feel a huge sense of relief and a temporary improvement in your mental health just because you've taken that away. But is that necessarily the right pathway for addressing those things or are there other ways? So, yes, you might see a temporary improvement there.

But we need to know what it is that you're treating and whether to some extent we're treating the normal anxieties of puberty in some of these young people. So yes, you can put someone on a medical pathway, but if at the end of it they can't get out of their bedroom, they don't have relationships, they're not in school or in work, you know, you haven't done the right thing by them.

But we need to know what it is that you're treating and whether to some extent we're treating the normal anxieties of puberty in some of these young people. So yes, you can put someone on a medical pathway, but if at the end of it they can't get out of their bedroom, they don't have relationships, they're not in school or in work, you know, you haven't done the right thing by them.

Peggy Cohen-Katenis, who first thought about this, her first thought was that young trans adults were doing poorly because they couldn't pass in adulthood, because particularly if you've gone through a male puberty, it can be really difficult to pass in later life. And so that was her first thought as to why one should do this. And her second thought was that it might buy time to think. Now...

Peggy Cohen-Katenis, who first thought about this, her first thought was that young trans adults were doing poorly because they couldn't pass in adulthood, because particularly if you've gone through a male puberty, it can be really difficult to pass in later life. And so that was her first thought as to why one should do this. And her second thought was that it might buy time to think. Now...

we need to be really clear about what we're trying to achieve with this particular treatment. Does it help some young people to pass in later life? And the answer is, you know, yes, it may well do. And so it may be that there is a much smaller group of young people for whom this is the right treatment. And we need to understand which those young people might be.

we need to be really clear about what we're trying to achieve with this particular treatment. Does it help some young people to pass in later life? And the answer is, you know, yes, it may well do. And so it may be that there is a much smaller group of young people for whom this is the right treatment. And we need to understand which those young people might be.

And that's why we've said that we haven't said stop this completely in the UK. We've said, let's have a proper trial to look at both who benefits and whether there's any harms.

And that's why we've said that we haven't said stop this completely in the UK. We've said, let's have a proper trial to look at both who benefits and whether there's any harms.

Yeah, so I think to continue to say that the evidence is good when numerous systematic reviews have shown that it isn't is surprising. I think it is important to say that where there is weak evidence, you do your best in terms of clinical consensus and then you try and strengthen the evidence.

Yeah, so I think to continue to say that the evidence is good when numerous systematic reviews have shown that it isn't is surprising. I think it is important to say that where there is weak evidence, you do your best in terms of clinical consensus and then you try and strengthen the evidence.