Puberty blocker research: ethics and challenges

The PATHWAYS  puberty suppression and transitional care study has received over £10 million in public funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). It will include a clinical trial of puberty blockers in children referred to youth gender clinics, as well as a longitudinal observational study (Horizon). The puberty blocker clinical trial was supposed to have started recruiting in the Spring, but it appears that the trial has only recently been submitted to a Research Ethics Committee (REC) for ethical approval.

In this webinar we ask whether a clinical trial of puberty blockers for adolescents with gender incongruence of any design could meet the ethical standards for clinical research in children and young people.

Dr David Bell will chair and facilitate a discussion and Q+A with two clinicians who have experience in clinical research, clinical trials, and evidence evaluation.

They will discuss the ethical implications of the proposed puberty blocker trial and explain why such a trial is unlikely to fulfil the fundamental ethical requirements. They will outline other ways that research could help answer the question of how to help children and adolescents who are experiencing gender-related distress, including discussion of the proposed Horizon observational cohort study.

Speakers biographies:

Dr David Bell retired from his post as Consultant Psychiatrist at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in 2021. In 2018, whilst serving as Trust Governor representing the clinical staff, he authored a report that was highly critical of the Tavistock Gender Identity Service for children and adolescents (GIDS). This report was part of the chain of events leading to the Cass Review and subsequently the closure of GIDS. He is a past president of the British Psychoanalytic Society.

Dr Hannah Ryan is a Registrar in Clinical Pharmacology and general medicine in the north west. She has experience in evidence synthesis for guidelines, and is author of several Cochrane evidence reviews. Hannah will explain why sound scientific trial design is an ethical requirement in clinical research.

Dr Sinead Helyar is a registered nurse and clinical researcher who has considerable expertise in clinical trials. Her role requires a thorough understanding of research ethics. Sinead will talk about clinical trial regulations and ethical principles as they apply to the proposed puberty blocker trial - central here is the fact that the proposed trial will be carried out on minors.

This webinar is free to attend but, if you are able to do so, a donation to our costs would be appreciated.

If you click the link in the ticket it should take you to the webinar but if there is a problem here is the link:
You are invited to a Zoom webinar!
When: Sep 16, 2025 19:30 London
Topic: Puberty blocker research: ethics and challenges

Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:
https://zoom.us/j/97044458004

(the screen will be blank until the webinar starts at 7.30pm)