Suicide claims about puberty blockers are false and dangerous

A new review from the U.K. says claims of a massive spike in suicides following changes to guidelines on puberty blockers are not only false but dangerous. At the request of the U.K.’s Health Secretary Wes Streeting, an independent review has been completed into claims of a rise in suicide rates since puberty-blocking drugs were restricted at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust in London in 2020.

The review is a calm, clarifying read with easy-to-understand statistics by Professor Louis Appleby, an advisor on suicide prevention and a professor of psychiatry from the University of Manchester. Hopefully this review will reassure young people and their parents that sensible restriction of puberty blockers does not promote suicide in adolescents who are unhappy with their sex.

A UK legal campaign group, the Good Law Project, claimed that suicide rates have risen since 2020 when puberty-blocking drugs were restricted at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust. The group appears to have based their claim on figures from two people who used to work at the Tavistock clinic, however University of Manchester review shows these claims to be incorrect.

Professor Appleby explains that the restriction on puberty blockers in London has not led to a “huge increase” in suicides of adolescents and that rates are relatively low both before and after the change. He warns against scaremongering messages, especially on social media because it can result in adolescents becoming more susceptible to the behaviour warned about. This is a reason why insensitive discussion like this goes against the accepted guidance on reporting suicide.

This report is timely for New Zealand, where people who don’t follow the norms and stereotypes of their sex are encouraged to think there is something wrong with them, that they have an innate "gender identity" of the opposite sex, and that they need to medically alter their body to “match”.

New Zealand adolescents are prescribed puberty blockers at internationally very high rates, to avoid their bodies maturing and developing secondary sex characteristics, when they should be getting expert clinical guidance including careful counselling and support for their mental health. There has been little research carried out here on the outcomes from this so-called “gender-affirming” approach. It is not uncommon on New Zealand social media for suicide warnings to appear in response to anything other than a "gender affirmative" approach.

Professor Appleby says "one risk is that young people and their families will be terrified by predictions of suicide as inevitable without puberty blockers - some of the responses on social media show this.” The oft-repeated threat “would you rather have a dead daughter or live son” is dangerous, rather than life saving, for a young same sex attracted daughter who is not following sex-stereotypes.

Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.

Lifeline– 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP).

Youthline– 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat.

Samaritans– 0800 726 666

Suicide Crisis Helpline– 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO).

Aoake te Rā- 0800 000 053- free counselling for people bereaved by suicide