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Missouri Transgender Clinic Faces Allegations of Hastily Prescribing Hormones to Young Patients
Edited by: TJVNews.com
Explosive allegations that a transgender clinic in Missouri was hastily prescribing hormone drugs to young patients, including those with psychiatric issues, have gained credibility after a whistleblower’s claims were corroborated by a recent report, according to the New York Post. Jamie Reed, 42, a former case worker, initially came forward in February with damning accusations against the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, which she claimed was providing hormone treatments with insufficient oversight of patients’ mental health, the Post report added.
The New York Times has now confirmed certain aspects of Reed’s allegations after interviewing numerous patients and reviewing hundreds of pages of documents detailing the center’s care plans. According to the report, the clinic relied heavily on external therapists to evaluate incoming patients for hormone prescriptions. The Post report indicated that the process involved verifying that patients had identified as transgender for at least six months, received parental consent, and obtained a therapist’s letter of support. Hormonal medications were then prescribed, even to patients with psychiatric diagnoses that raised concerns.
Reed, who left her position at the center in November due to what she described as morally and medically troubling practices, along with a colleague, developed their own “red flag list” to track patients with psychiatric issues, as was reported by the Post. The lack of a formal tracking system at the clinic prompted them to create this list. The list contained 60 youths with psychiatric concerns, including instances where patients had discontinued schizophrenia medications without medical consultation or had been in psychiatric units for extended periods.
Reed and her colleague wound up conducting at least six training sessions with emergency room staff in August and September last year amid an influx of young transgender patients coming in experiencing mental health crises, the Post report said.
Her coworker subsequently emailed her team and university admin to flag that ED staff were concerned about treating at least “one TG patient per shift.”
“They aren’t sure why patients aren’t required to continue in counseling if they are continuing hormones,” the staffer wrote in her email, adding they were concerned that “no one is ever told no.”
Emails and documents obtained by The New York Times indicated that some patients claimed the center ignored their requests for help after they decided to de-transition or stop hormone treatments, the Post reported. There were instances where patients reportedly faced dismissive responses when discussing changes in their treatment plans.
The Post also reported that one patient had reached out to the center in January 2020 to say they had de-transitioned and needed help getting a coach to help with their now-masculine voice, according to the reported emails. They added they were also seeking an autism referral, writing: “I have mentioned this before at appointments and over email, but it did not seem to go anywhere.”
Another patient, named Alex, told the Times she ended up de-transitioning three years after she was prescribed testosterone by the center, as was stated in the Post report. She recalled being prescribed the drug when she was 15 in 2017 after identifying as trans for three years and being referred to the center by a therapist.
“There was no actual speaking to a psychiatrist or another therapist or even a case worker,” she said of being given the drug.
The allegations sparked an investigation by the Missouri Attorney General and an inquiry by Republican Senator Josh Hawley. The University, however, has emphasized that the center prioritizes mental health care and maintains ongoing relationships between patients and mental health providers, according to the Post report.
While the report corroborates some of Reed’s claims, it also notes that some of her initial assertions contained factual inaccuracies and couldn’t be confirmed, the Post report said. The situation has shed light on the complexities and ethical considerations surrounding the provision of transgender healthcare, especially for young patients who may be dealing with a range of physical, emotional, and psychological challenges. As investigations continue and discussions unfold, the case underscores the need for rigorous oversight and sensitive approaches in transgender healthcare practices.
