The Norwegian Healthcare Investigation Board (NHIB/UKOM) decided Thursday that transgender surgeries, hormones and puberty blockers are experimental.
Norway is the fourth country to restrict or ban sex change surgeries, hormones and puberty blockers for children. Finland, Sweden and the UK have found that there is insufficient evidence that the benefits of cross sex hormones, surgeries, and puberty blockers outweigh the costs for children. (RELATED: ‘Do You Think The Girls … Would Feel Comfortable’: Trans Student Confronts Gov. Youngkin On Bathroom Policy)
“The knowledge base, especially research-based knowledge for gender-affirming treatment (hormonal and surgical), is deficient and the long-term effects are little known,” a UKOM report read. “This is particularly true for the teenage population where the stability of their gender incongruence is also not known.”
The phrase “gender affirming care” has become a catch-all term for puberty blockers, cross sex hormones, and sex change surgeries, which are irreversible. Several individuals are suing doctors who performed these treatments on them as minors, as they report a loss of fertility, and “permanent” disfigurement.
“There is a lack of research-based knowledge about the treatment of patients with non-binary gender incongruence. In order to safeguard patient safety, Ukom considers it necessary that the knowledge base on gender incongruity and gender dysphoria be strengthened, and that the health service offer be arranged in line with the knowledge base.”
That’s four countries, all with top-tier healthcare systems, where scientists have looked into the evidence, said the local equivalent of “Holy shit,” and determined access to blockers and hormones needs to be more tightly regulated. In the States? Lots of heads in lots of sand. https://t.co/cYHDrdI9iz
— Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) March 10, 2023
The report notes that sex change operations are irreversible, and noted the rapid increase in gender dysphoria among adolescents and children.
Under Norway’s newly proposed model, “Gender dysphoric youth will receive care for their distress in local primary care settings with multidisciplinary support,” according to the Society for Evidence-based Gender medicine. “Youth gender transitions will be an exception, not the rule.”
The Norwegian Healthcare Investigation Board, (NHIB/UKOM) has deemed puberty blockers, cross-sex-hormones & surgery for children & young people experimental, determining that the current “gender-affirmative” guidelines are not evidence-based and must be revised. /1
— SEGM (@segm_ebm) March 10, 2023
The United States remains one of the most permissive countries for youth transgender treatments, according to a January study by Do No Harm. The study analyzed laws in several European countries, concluding that American children had easier access to puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and transgender surgeries.