Rise in children receiving treatment for 'gender confusion'

The number of children being given medical treatment for 'gender confusion' has risen 1000 percent over the past five years.

The NHS's Gender Identity Disorder Service treated 1,013 children, between April and December last year, a freedom of information request by The Sun revealed.

In 2010, just 97 cases were recorded.

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, based in London, is the only clinic in the UK that provides such treatment. But as demand for the treatment increases the Trust may seek to offer treatment in their Leeds, Brighton and Exeter clinics.
 

Hormone blockers

At the clinic those under 18 years of age and their families are given counselling and, in some instances, hormone-blocking treatments.

Appearing on Sky News last year Christian Concern's Campaigns Director Andrew Marsh said: "we need to engage with the underlying issues" of gender identity and "address the psychological and mental issues with compassion and care".

In January national 'gender identity' group Mermaids claimed there were as many as 80 primary school age children a year expressing a desire to 'change' their gender.
 

Often temporary

But studies strongly suggest that feelings of gender confusion in young children are often temporary.

According to the former psychiatrist in chief at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Dr Paul McHugh, 70 to 80 per cent of children tracked at both Vanderbilt University and the London's Portman Clinic, who had expressed transgender feelings, "spontaneously lost those feelings". 
 

'God-given identity'

Echoing the thoughts of Dr McHugh Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said:

"When children express confusion like this, we need to be affirming their God-given identity and helping them to understand their birth gender. It is clear from this group's comments that many children are simply following the lead of others, without truly understanding the implications.

"If we allow this trend to grow unchecked, we could see many children making decisions they could regret later on."

Related Links:
Huge rise in 'transgender' referrals  
Worrying trend for primary school 'transgenderism'
Johns Hopkins Psychiatrist: Transgender is 'Mental Disorder;' Sex Change 'Biologically Impossible' (CNS News) 

Related Coverage:
Transgender kids getting NHS treatment soars by 1,000% (The Sun)