"Three of the world's top trans healthcare organisations have expressed "significant ethical concerns" regarding the UK Government's upcoming puberty blockers trial. The European, World, and US Professional Associations for Transgender Health (EPATH, WPATH, and USPATH) said they believe the NHS PATHWAYS trial conflicts with "internationally recognised ethical standards". Commissioned in the wake of the Government's decision to indefinitely ban puberty blockers for trans young people,"
"In a joint statement published on Friday (9 January), the organisations outlined five key concerns regarding the trial's design. Among them was the fear that the trial structure could undermine voluntary informed consent because it is currently the only way to publicly access puberty blockers in the UK. Another expressed concerns over forcing adolescents who meet the clinical criteria for accessing puberty suppressants to wait for treatment, potentially violating "established clinical guidelines"."
"The organisations further argued that the trial model centre the "lived experience" of its patients to be considered both ethically and clinically reliable. Furthermore, they urged the UK government not to use the PATHWAYS trial's conclusions as a "sole basis" to determine national policy decisions. They expressed concerns that the current research structure may prioritise "research objectives over patient well-being" by delaying access to medical care. "Ethical research must be voluntary, clinically sound, and designed with the well-being of participants at its cor"
Three leading transgender health organisations (EPATH, WPATH, USPATH) state the NHS PATHWAYS puberty blockers trial raises significant ethical concerns and may conflict with internationally recognised ethical standards. The £10 million trial will study 220 young people, with half receiving puberty suppressants, after a government decision to indefinitely ban puberty blockers. The trial requires under-16s to undergo over 13 hours of medical assessments to access treatment. The organisations listed five concerns: potential undermining of voluntary informed consent since trial participation is the only public access route to blockers; enforced waiting that may violate clinical guidelines; insufficient weighting of lived experience; and risk of prioritising research over patient well-being.
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