Missouri AG calls for moratorium on puberty blockers for children

Missouri AG calls for moratorium on puberty blockers for children [ad_1]

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey called for a halt on authorizing puberty blockers for children at St. Louis Children’s Hospital on Friday.

In a letter to Washington University officials, Bailey addressed allegations from whistleblower Jamie Reed, who claimed that the university's transgender center was operating irreversible gender transition surgeries and possibly permanently sterilizing children without parental consent.

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“I want Missouri to be the safest state in the nation for children, which is why we are calling for an immediate moratorium on the Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital prescribing puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones to any new patients,” Bailey said in a letter. "The whistleblower’s sworn affidavit says the center has permanently sterilized hundreds of children, caused many children to attempt suicide, and performed irreversible gender-transition surgeries on minors—all while lying to the public and parents."

FILE - Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks to reporters after taking the oath of office in Jefferson City, Mo., on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023.

David A. Lieb/AP

Bailey added that the procedures, which affect a person's hormones, have led children to attempt suicide and were often done without an individualized assessment of the child.

One example from the former employee's affidavit claimed that a young girl, who did not want to get pregnant, was prescribed puberty blockers instead of birth control or contraceptives.

"There was no need for this girl to be prescribed cross-sex hormones. What she needed was basic sex education and maybe contraception," Reed said. "But because the doctors automatically prescribe cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers for children meeting the bare minimum criteria, this girl was unnecessarily placed on drugs that cause irreversible change to the body."

Reed also said children and teenagers went to the center for medication they hoped would change their sexual orientation and were given puberty blockers.

The letter comes a day after Washington University opened its own investigation into the allegations, with Sen. Josh Hawley's (R-MO) office opening its own investigation the next day.

“I applaud your announcement yesterday to quickly launch an internal investigation," Bailey said to the university. "As the university’s statement acknowledges, the allegations against the Center are enough to leave anyone ‘alarmed’ and must be taken ‘very seriously.’"

Since two investigations are now underway, Bailey encouraged the university to share the findings of its internal investigation and fully cooperate with his investigation. Bailey did not acknowledge Hawley's investigation.

The deadline for the hospital's response to the moratorium is Feb. 14.

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