There is no evidence of any benefit to sufferers of post-pubertal sex dysphoria from medical intervention. Mental health outcomes are not improved by gender transition. Our Duty takes the view that medical treatment to imitate the opposite sex is not just unnecessary, it is harmful.
There is no doubt that young people who come to believe that they are the ‘wrong gender’ suffer great mental anguish, they start to believe that the only relief from their turmoil is to ‘become’ the opposite gender. It is our view that these problems are problems of the mind and they cannot be treated by altering the body. While the realm of psychiatry and associated therapies does not have the answers to sex dysphoria, we are confident that psychotherapy offers the best hope for effective treatments to be developed.
- We would like to see the upper age limit for adolescent care raised to 25 as soon as possible (as per NHS long term plan).
- Puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and sex imitation surgeries should not be available to under 25s
- NHS England to withdraw its support for the Memorandum of Understanding Version 2 (which is chilling the ability of our parents to find appropriate care for their children)
- Gender Identity Development Services needs to be replaced by clinics 100% focused on psychotherapeutic care, and named so as to not give credence to the notion of ‘gender identity’.
- Clinics need to publish the evidence being used to determine treatment protocols alongside a respected independent rating for the quality of that evidence.
- Outcome performance indicators for clinics dealing with sex dysphoria should target 100% desistance.
- Services and adequate care pathways need to be available for detransitioners.
- Family therapy must be available for those affected.
Our policy position can be summed up by the sentiment:
Adolescence is not an illness, don’t treat it like one.
