In more and more countries, the rules of puberty inhibitors are being tightened. These hormone blockers are used to change the sex of children. It has hooks and eyes. In New Zealand, Sweden and France, the rules for these hormone blockers have been tightened. In De Nieuwe Morgen, Annemarie asks journalist Tineke van der Waal what the dangers may be.
The puberty inhibitors are drugs that are injected under the skin of young people. As a result, the brain no longer produces estrogen or testosterone. They block the natural process of puberty in teenagers. You can get this from the age of eleven. Nevertheless, several countries are tightening up the rules: “It was intended as a pause button. That as a child you get more time to think about who you are. Then you don’t have to experience that your body is developing in the wrong direction. Yet countries shy away from this. That’s because the drug has serious side effects.”
Examples of the side effects are: infertility, loss of sexual functions, the bone structure is much less good and the risk of depressive patterns. The brain also appears not to develop properly when using the puberty inhibitors.
Tineke van der Waal also approached a Dutch gender clinic. They often get questions about this theme, it turns out. They say that the selection that takes place in the Netherlands is more careful than in other countries.
You can listen to the entire conversation here.
Image: Bureau Groen
