Worried parents finally breathe sigh of relief

ScottiSh parents breathed a huge sigh of relief at the news children will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers.

We also sent heartfelt thanks to Dr hilary cass, a hugely experienced paediatrician. her report is clear that the medical case for using these life-altering drugs is “remarkably weak”.

Finally, an expert spelled out what many parents suspected – medically suppressing puberty is the wrong way to help children who are questioning their gender identity.

instead Dr cass said what most sensible parents say when their children propose anything drastic – wait and see. She didn’t use those exact words. instead she advised monitoring and supporting young people “until the developmental trajectory becomes clearer”.

this is infuriating for youngsters in a turmoil of puberty and confusion. but it’s the best way to make sure they don’t make a mistake that could affect the rest of their lives.

here are some of the things i proposed doing at that age. buying a motorbike. Leaving school before i sat my highers and moving into a bedsit. Getting a tattoo of a doubleheaded eagle on my forearm.

it’s the nature of teens to be impulsive and reckless. this is tiresome in Primark but it’s downright terrifying when they are questioning whether they are female or male.

As Dr cass points out, gender dysphoria often marks other issues such as eating disorders, depression and anxiety. She also stresses trans people are three to six times more likely to be autistic than the rest of the population.

What these young people need is not powerful drugs. they need support for their underlying issues. Doctors need to probe the reasons why they think they’re not a boy or a girl.

they also need the love and care of parents. And parents need medical guidance they can trust. At last, this is in place.