The moral panic in the UK media about trans rights might make you believe that adolescents are being ‘rushed’ through puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. But people struggling with their gender identity face waiting times well in excess of four years just for an initial appointment at one of the country’s handful of gender identity clinics.
That first appointment won’t see any intervention. Puberty is over for many people before they are offered any actual medical intervention.
There is pearl-clutching about ‘decisions that young people may regret’. But in reality, not being able to access puberty blockers or other interventions is often much more damaging for the person’s well-being, in both the short and long run.
