Legal advocacy group ADF International has called for an end to “reckless experimentation on children” by the NHS, which has commissioned a clinical trial for puberty blockers.
The trial is known as “Pathways” and will involve around 220 children between the ages of 10 and 16 being given puberty blockers, something ADF said could lead to “lifelong and often irreversible consequences” for the children.
In 2025 the British government banned the prescription of puberty blockers to minors, following the findings of the Cass Review.
The independent review found that puberty blockers presented a significant risk to those who take them, especially minors, noting that the long-term impact of such drugs on brain development, psychological growth, and physical health are mostly unknown.
What is known is that puberty blockers can have a significant impact on fertility, sexual function and bone density. Such drugs are often the first step to cross-sex hormones and surgery.
That being the case, ADF argued that it is impossible for children to give informed consent about such drugs. The group said, “Puberty blockers are the first step down a medical path with extremely dangerous lifelong consequences.”
The group also questioned the value of the study from a purely scientific viewpoint.
“Calling this a ‘clinical trial’ doesn’t make it safe," said ADF.
"A two-year study can’t measure lifelong negative consequences on adult identity, fertility, or overall well-being. Launching this trial is treating children as lab experiments. It’s exposing society’s most vulnerable to the lie of gender ideology and its incredibly harmful effects.
“Too many children already have been harmed because ideology has overtaken evidence. This trial perpetuates these same grave harms.”
The trial may not go ahead as a judicial review has been initiated by detransitioner Keira Bell and therapist James Esses, who argue that the NHS cannot legally experiment on children, especially when their own review points to the potential for serious long-term consequences.
