What science tells

What science tells us about treatment of children and adolescents

The science pages focus on "peer reviewed" research. Debate articles, anecdotic accounts, opinions, or media discussion is not considered relevant here. One notable exception is an article in Wall St. J., P. MCHugh, Chief Psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins, the largest medical centre in the world.

1. There is no scientific evidence that gender reassigment has a positive health effect.   click for more


2. There are large unknowns on the number of regretters. (Long-term follow-up is missing, but early "euphoria" that over time (average 10 years) turns into regret is well  documented.) more


3. Co-morbidity of psychiatric problems is very high; major studies conclude 75 - 88%. more


4. Gender reassignment treatment (hormones and/ or surgery) does not reduce psychiatric problems. more


5. Suicide risk does not decrease after gender reassignment treatment. more


6. One must begin by investigating psychiatric issues. Affirmative treatment must not start before evaluation. more


7. Only teams of experts with long clinical experience of making psychiatric diagnoses should investigate children/ adolescents. more


8. Children/ adolescents grow out of gender incongruence (80 - 90%) during puberty while on the other hand ... more


9. .... treatment with puberty blockers consolidates the gender dysphoria in 100% of treated children/ adolescents. more


10.Treatment with puberty blockers increases mental health problems in girls. Gender dysphoria does not decrease. more


11. There are serious medical risks and side effects of puberty blockers and hormone treatment. more


12. It is a myth that specific brain regions of trans persons are more like those of the self-identified gender. more


13 There has been no long-term follow-up of the effects of gender correcting treatment (surgery or hormones) on quality of life.


14. Children and adolescents with gender incongruence and possible psychiatric problems cannot be considered to provide informed consent.


15. Psychosocial circumstances and history must be investigated and confirmed. Information from parents, relatives, friends must be considered.


16. Investigation should be culturally neutral without bias of gender research ideology, political influence or religious dogma.