At least 22 children were fast tracked without any psychiatric assessment

A South Australian gender service has been caught out fast tracking children onto harmful, experimental drugs without first referring them to psychiatrists, ignoring government guidelines. 

The head of South Australia's Women's and Children's Hospital has apologised and ordered a review of the state's gender diversity service, after the clinic did not refer almost two dozen children to a psychiatrist in line with government guidelines.

Women's and Children's Health Network chief executive Rebecca Graham told ABC News that between July 2023 and July 2024, 22 children were prescribed gender-affirming treatment by a doctor without prior psychiatric assessment. 

She said the children — aged between 11 and 18 years — were assessed by senior mental health clinicians such as psychologists or senior nurses before receiving treatment, but they were not assessed by psychiatrists in compliance with the state's gender diversity model of care.

"We apologise to those families."

The families have since been offered retrospective assessments. This is wholly inadequate as current statistics show that once children go down the “affirmation” pathways they continue to do so until they reach a stunted adulthood. 

An unknown number of those children desist once they become adults but suffer irreversible consequences such as sterility and no sexual function.

An internal review has been ordered but won’t be completed for several months. 

This sounds like Coke-a-cola issuing a study on the benefits of excessive sugar consumption. Who could trust the results?

There must be an immediate halt on issuing harmful, experimental drugs to children and there must be an immediate inquiry into such practices.

The UK Cass report, along with many other countries have banned or at least paused such pathways for the sake of safeguarding children. 

Why are Australian governments so afraid of analysing the facts and data? 

Why don’t they want to ensure the best of care for our Australia’s youth?