Children being treated for transgender issues at Sweden’s Karolinska University Hospital have allegedly suffered severe injuries as a result of hormone puberty blockers.
Doctors at Karolinska University Hospital have reportedly long been aware of the injuries suffered by children as a result of hormone treatments, however, the injuries were not been made public until this week.
Of the 440 children who have been treated at the hospital for gender dysphoria issues and were given hormone blockers, 13 have suffered serious injuries as a result.
In one case, a girl who wished to become a boy at the age of 10 was put on a regimen of puberty-blocking drugs at the age of 11 by the hospital. Five years after the treatment, the effects of the hormone therapy are said to have resulted in osteoporosis and damaged the vertebrae in teen’s back, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported.
The teen’s mother, Natalie told the broadcaster: “He felt so bad that he tried suicide attempts on several occasions. We didn’t understand, we thought our child would feel better from the treatment.”
“When we asked him regularly how his back felt, he said: ‘I’m in pain all the time’,” she added.
Karolinska chief physician and pediatric doctor Ricard Nergårdh commented on the use of hormone blockers saying: “It’s chemical castration. It can affect mental health in a way that you didn’t think of and didn’t want. It is very important that the patient and the patient’s family are well informed about it.”
According to SVT, hormone blockers have affected other children in different ways, including one child who suffered liver damage, while another had been found to have reduced bone density after two years of treatment.
Several others were diagnosed with mental health issues, including thoughts of self-harm and suicide, while others simply regretted being put on the drugs after developing irreversible side effects from the hormone therapy, such as vocal changes.
In May, Karolinska hospital announced it would be ending hormone treatment for children after witnessing the various side effects of the treatment.
The hospital is known as being the first in Sweden to offer gender identity assessments for children and had previously defended gender surgeries, including the removal of a 14-year-old’s breasts.
Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.