Editorial: Stormont allowing puberty blocker trials on children is unethical - and ministers must wake up before more irreparable harm is caused

​The Northern Ireland executive’s decision to follow a wider UK ban on the prescription of ‘puberty blockers’ to children is a big step forward in dealing with the scandal of how vulnerable teenagers, questioning their gender, have been dealt with by the NHS.

However, ministers have also agreed to allow children here to take part in clinical trials of the drugs.

In recent years, the transgender movement has switched its attention to what it calls “trans kids”. It claims, without evidence, that interrupting puberty with these drugs prevents suicide. This has been parroted by politicians with little understanding of the complex issues involved.

Rather than deal with the often grim reality of ‘transitioning’ young people – mastectomies, castration, infertility, a lifetime of medication and myriad other health problems – some politicians hide behind the cosy language of ‘gender affirming care’.

While activists no longer say, as they once did, that children are “born in the wrong body” – that is exactly what they mean when they claim that children are born “trans”.

No child is in the wrong body. The reasons children present at gender clinics are complex, and include growing up in care, autism, sexual and physical abuse – and those confused about their sexual orientation.

Putting them on puberty blockers despite the fact that gender dysphoria is unlikely to be the only, let alone primary, issue they face, means they are overwhelmingly likely to go on to a lifetime of experimental treatments.

With no evidence the drugs work or are safe – and evidenced non-medical interventions available – the trial is in effect continuing experimentation on children. It is unethical. Ministers need to wake up before more irreparable harm is done to young people.