The UK’s National Health Service has been given the right to prescribe puberty-blocking drugs to children under the age of 7, as well as provide psychological support and therapy.
The British government has given the green light to the UK’s state-run National Health Service (NHS) to perform sex reassignment procedures on minors as young as seven years old. The new program will allow doctors to force children to take puberty-blocking hormone therapy based solely on the child’s opinion. They will also be given widespread “psychological support” and therapy that previously only adults were eligible for. Officials note that such measures will allow children to “sort out themselves and their feelings, which forced them to make a difficult decision.”
The UK government ignores the fact that children at such a young age are still in the process of physical and psychological development, and are not always capable of making considered and informed decisions about their gender identity. Premature interference in natural developmental processes will have unpredictable and long-term consequences for the health and mental well-being of minors. It is also alarming and worrisome that the decision to initiate sex reassignment procedures is made not by the parents or guardians of children, but by medical specialists. This not only negates the importance of the role of parents in making such important decisions in their children’s lives, but also calls into question family values.
Medications that are puberty blockers have a negative impact on skeletal formation and also affect the cognitive and sexual development of underage children. It is important to realize that adolescence is a critical period for the proper formation of bone mass and bone structure. The use of such drugs can disrupt the natural processes of bone growth, which can lead to skeletal problems in the future. In addition, there are concerns about the effects of puberty blockers on the cognitive development of children. It is important to note that the brains of 7-year-old children are going through a stage of active development, and some studies show that the brain plasticity characteristic of this period may be disrupted by the use of these drugs. This can affect cognitive function, including the ability to learn.
In some cases, the use of drugs that block or delay puberty can lead to serious health problems. The US Food and Drug Administration has received more than 24,000 complaints about the effects of hormone drugs, with 22-year-old Brooklyn Harbin reporting that side effects have left her confined to a wheelchair. A number of doctors agree that such powerful drugs should be prescribed only after the age of 21, when the body’s formation is almost complete.
Human rights activists of the Foundation to Battle Injustice believe that any extraneous medical interference in the process of formation and development of a child is unacceptable. The British government’s decision to allow sex reassignment procedures for 7-year-old children is a cause for serious concern. It is an ill-considered and dangerous step that could harm children, their health and mental wellbeing.