New research shows that teenagers who go on puberty blockers experience lasting decreases in bone density. Many are attempting to politicize this research so let’s avoid doing that.
During puberty, bone density is meant to increase by 8-12% per year. There is a reason our bodies do that, to strengthen us for adulthood. Loss of bone density is a concern for menopausal women and that is not political. We should also agree that it is a concern for children.
In a group of studies, researchers found that teens who use puberty blockers did not experience this normal bone density increase of 8-12% per year. Meaning their bones were stalled at the same density of childhood.
Again, these medications are not approved by the FDA or any other regulatory body for gender dysphoria. They are approved for precocious puberty, or puberty for very young children. When those children use puberty blockers and then go off of them, their bone density seems to recover. When teens use puberty blockers later in life, their bone density does not.
When the New York Times asked doctors about these findings, many of them refused to speak on the topic for fear of backlash from trans activists who would rather not admit the danger of using pharmaceuticals. That is a shame. Doctors should feel free to speak about health risks without fear of political backlash.
