A doctor studying the effects of puberty-blocking drugs on children is reportedly withholding publishing data because the findings may be used by critics who support bans on the procedure.
Doctor Johanna Olson-Kennedy, a leading physician at one of the country’s largest youth gender clinics, led a two-year federally funded study in 2015 that followed 95 children receiving hormone blockers as part of sex-change procedures to monitor changes in mental health, according to The New York Times. Olson-Kennedy reportedly feared that in light of recent attempts to limit the procedure, the results of the study showing no improvement to mental health outcomes may reveal that “we shouldn’t use blockers because it doesn’t impact [the kids],” according to the NYT.
“I do not want our work to be weaponized,” Olson-Kennedy told the NYT. “It has to be exactly on point, clear and concise. And that takes time.”
The doctor argued that the findings of the study were neutral because the kids were “in really good shape when they come in, and they’re in really good shape after two years,” but earlier published findings from the study reveal that at the beginning of the study, roughly one-quarter of children reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation, while nearly 8% had previously attempted suicide. The study did not show improved trends, Olson-Kennedy told the NYT.
Children play with confetti during the NYC Pride March on June 25, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress)
Dr. Olson-Kennedy hypothesized that the study would reveal hormone blockers “decreased symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma symptoms, self-injury, and suicidality, and increased body esteem and quality of life over time,” in the children, but insisted the results did not show the expected improvements because the kids had “good mental health on average,” according to the NYT.
“They’re not in any concerning ranges, either at the beginning or after two years,” she told the NYT.
Olson-Kennedy is a staunch advocate for sex-change treatment for youth, testifying in favor of the practice in multiple lawsuits. States like Idaho and Texas have banned sex-change operations and hormone blockers for children.
The study cost taxpayers $9.7 million, the NYT reported.
Around 121,882 children ages 6 to 17 were treated for “gender dysphoria” from 2017 to 2021, increasing by 70% from 2020 to 2021, according to Reuters. At least 4,780 minors have been put on puberty blockers within that time frame. (RELATED: Child Sex Change Bans Are Making Real-World Impact In Red States, Study Finds)
Olson-Kennedy did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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