There are a few things worth noting about the study. First, the rats received the puberty-blocking drugs for only four weeks, whereas children prescribed such medications in the course of “gender-affirming care” take them for much longer. The Mayo Clinic states, “Many people take the medicine for a few years,” and teens may stop taking the drugs “after delaying puberty for several years.” The U.K. NHS notes, “It can take several months for hormone therapy to be effective.” Admittedly, I haven’t found a reliable source or study for the average time children take puberty blockers when pursuing gender-related treatments, but all available information suggests that, in most cases, they do so for longer than one month. ...
So, to summarize, USA Today’s opinion article correcting “egregious misinformation” argues administering “puberty-blocking medicines” is “an intervention that is fully reversible,” yet the source provided for that claim states such finding is unconfirmed for humans. I worked as a fact-checker at the USA Today opinion section for a year, and I’m tempted to conclude the responsibilities of the role have changed.
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