Considerable Uncertainty Exists Regarding Effects of Puberty Blockers

FRIDAY, Jan. 24, 2025 (HealthDay News) — There is considerable uncertainty regarding the effects of puberty blockers in young individuals experiencing gender dysphoria (GD), according to two reviews published online Jan. 23 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Anna Miroshnychenko, from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues conducted two systematic reviews to assess and summarize the certainty of the evidence about the effects of puberty blockers in individuals experiencing GD. Studies comparing puberty blockers with no puberty blockers in individuals younger than 26 years experiencing GD were included (10 studies in the first review and 24 in the second).

In the first review, the researchers found that three comparative observational studies provided very low-certainty evidence on the outcomes of global function and depression. Seven before-after studies provided very low-certainty evidence with respect to GD, global function, depression, and bone mineral density. Similar results were seen in the second review; however, one comparative observational study noted lower odds of depression in individuals who received gender-affirming hormone therapy compared with those who did not (odds ratio, 0.7; low certainty). In addition, the results of two case-series studies noted that the proportion of individuals with cardiovascular events seven to 109 months after receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy was 40 per 1,000 (high certainty).

“There is considerable uncertainty about the effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy and we cannot exclude the possibility of benefit or harm,” the authors write. “Methodologically rigorous prospective studies are needed to produce higher-certainty evidence.”

Abstract/Full Text 1 (subscription or payment may be required)

Abstract/Full Text 2 (subscription or payment may be required)