This is Northumberland Calling 10.4.24: Cass Special

Special edition due to the Cass Report being published.

The 388 page Cass Review is out and one of the most important points is this :‘The evidence is weak and clinicians have told us they are unable to determine with any certainty which children and young people will go on to have an enduring trans identity.’  IN short there is no reliable test to say this child or that one will have continue to have gender non contentedness through out their life. In the absence of evidence, the first principle must be – First Do No Harm.

There are no clear guidelines based on evidence.

And this  The systematic review showed no clear evidence that social transition in childhood has any positive or negative mental health outcomes, and relatively weak evidence for any effect in adolescence. However, those who had socially transitioned at an earlier age and/or prior to being seen in clinic were more likely to proceed to a medical pathway.

The review recommends that families seek professional help and assistance before any transitioning (even partial) is undertaken. Social transitioning has gone from ‘not a neutral act’ to ‘an active intervention’. I should note that most schools do not make active medical interventions with the permission of parents including giving a paracetmol. Hopefully this means that the guidelines about schools doing secret transitions will be strengthen and parents informed and allowed to seek professional medical help before such a course of action is undertaken.

There is no evidence that transitioning prevents suicide. 15.43 In summary, the evidence does not adequately support the claim that gender[1]affirming treatment reduces suicide risk.     In short they were lying when they claimed it did.

Cass points out that the majority of those presenting gender dysphoria confusion are a new cohort – teenaged females and thus the research done on males is not applicable.

The report is very good at explaining about childhood development and how this is being ignored.

In 14.53, the role of publishing and other media in pushing medical outcomes is discussed and it is something which children’s publishing in particular needs to be cognizant of.  The very strongly held beliefs amongst some young people and parents/carers that puberty blockers are highly efficacious may be attributed to a number of factors: • the support for this position in published papers and from some clinicians working in the field • signposted information and advice provided to children, young people and their families on the perceived benefits, including on social media • the fact that puberty blockers have come to be seen as the entry point into and start of a transgender treatment pathway • a lack of information about the limitations of the evidence base • the lack of other options offered to address symptoms of distress and bodily discomfort.  It is a scandal and many people have played their part in furthering it.

Because primary source info is so important, I recommend reading the report. The chapters on childhood development including biological/psychological/social factors is really interesting.

The one thing I hope won’t happen is for it to be swept under the carpet. The UK Government and indeed Labour seem determine that this won’t happen. The BBC bizarrely led on the waiting list problem rather than the growing scandal about the lack of robust evidence to support the affirmation only approach.

Read the report, draw your own conclusions. I thought it quietly damning.

https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/

In other news:

Alan Bates gave his evidence to the Public Inquiry about the Post Office Scandal. He is apparently possessed of a wry sense of humour, something which did not come out in the programme. Masterpiece Theater is showing Mr Bates v The Post Office at the moment. Watch it but be prepared to get angry.  The scandal  remains as jaw-dropping as ever.  The former CEO is due to give evidence in early May. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/09/alan-bates-testimony-live-post-office-scandal/

And there has been torrential rain and flooding in my area. Actually, Britain may not have a harvest this Spring due to the weather and the flooding. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/09/farmers-warn-food-shortages-no-harvest-world-war-two-rain/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/09/farmers-warn-food-shortages-no-harvest-world-war-two-rain/