Paid-only Episode 7: Youth gender medicine & the Cass Review
Apr 23, 2024
auto_awesome
Exploration of the controversy surrounding the Cass Review on youth gender medicine, including the weak evidence for puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Discussion on the history and practices of gender dysphoria treatment for young individuals, including therapy and treatment options. Examination of the rise in referrals for gender dysphoria treatments, scrutinizing care quality and waiting lists.
The Cass Review highlighted remarkably weak evidence for youth gender medicine, sparking controversy.
The surge in referrals to the Tavistock gender clinic raises concerns about scaling healthcare services.
Deep dives
Youth Gender Medicine Controversy and CASA Review
The podcast explores the controversy surrounding youth gender medicine and highlights the recent CASA review's findings. According to the review, the field of youth gender medicine is marked by remarkably weak evidence with studies being exaggerated or misrepresented to support opposing viewpoints. The CASA review raises concerns about the lack of substantial evidence in this area, shedding light on the challenges and controversies surrounding the treatment of gender dysphoria in young individuals.
Rise in Referrals to Tavistock's Gender Clinic
The episode discusses the significant increase in referrals to the Tavistock gender clinic over the years, indicating a more than 1,000-fold rise in patient numbers. Starting with two referrals in 1989, the clinic saw a surge to 2,519 referrals by 2017-2018. The spike in referrals has sparked debates regarding the reasons behind this growth, drawing parallels with trends in diagnosing other mental health conditions and emphasizing the challenges of scaling healthcare services to meet increasing demand.
The evidence for puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for young people with gender dysphoria is “remarkably weak”. That’s according to the Cass Review, a new in-depth report commissioned by NHS England.
As you might imagine, the report’s conclusions have been somewhat controversial. In this paid-subscriber-only episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart read through the Cass Report, consider the arguments of its critics, and try to put the whole thing in context.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode