On March 25, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin released a powerful statement regarding the increasingly distressing trend of trans healthcare in Ireland, after the National Health Service (NHS) in England stopped prescribing puberty blockers to trans youth.
Earlier this month, the National Health Service in England decided to stop prescribing puberty blockers to transgender youth outside of clinical trials. The NHS claimed that the psychological effects of puberty blockers are unknown, despite numerous studies demonstrating that they are safe and effective and that they dramatically improve mental health.
This decision also has an impact on transgender youth in Ireland, as many individuals were forced to travel to England to access gender-affirming care. In their official statement, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin addressed the restriction of puberty blockers led by the National Gender Service and other specific issues with private service GenderGP.
They said: “It’s increasingly clear that trans healthcare in Ireland, despite already being ranked as having the worst trans healthcare in Europe, is becoming progressively worse for trans people, and trans young people in particular.”
Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin called attention to the “decaying capitalist system” that is “reverting back to restricting bodily autonomy”. The statement also called out Leo Varadkar’s resignation speech, where he said he was proud to have made Ireland “an equal and modern place” for LGBTQ+ people.
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The organisation also drew attention to how, on March 13, National Gender Service lead endocrinologist Professor Donal O’Shea claimed that clinical trials will help determine who is eligible for puberty blockers. In response to this, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin stated that the trials are “not being used to fill the gaps, it’s being done to further restrict healthcare for young trans people.”
Additionally, online health clinic Gender GP has recently cancelled the reduced rates for working-class trans people, cut half of their staff, implemented a new AI prescription service which makes GPs less likely to prescribe blood tests, and added a fee of £150 to a gender marker change letter.
In light of this, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin encouraged all trans folks in need of information to message them for help in identifying substitute services.
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In recent years, trans activists across Ireland have repeatedly spoken out against the decade-long waiting list that patients face when attempting to access vital healthcare.
In July 2023, over one hundred attended a protest at Loughlinstown hospital organised by the trans coalition Transgress the NGS. In October 2023, 19 Irish and international organisations joined forces to write an open letter to the HSE, demanding a model of trans healthcare that is in line with human rights standards.
In their latest statement, Trans and Intersex Pride Dublin called on the trans community and their allies to come together, sharing: “only with a united mass movement can we fight off the right-wing backlash on our vital healthcare.”
The statement includes a call to action for all LGBTQ+ people. As Pride season approaches, “it’s vital that we get the biggest, loudest and angriest Trans and Intersex Pride March in July that can damage the right-wing attacks on our healthcare.”
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