Hello. This is the second of three videos I am doing on the court case Quincy Bell (that's
the name that Keira Bell gave to herself as a male) and Mrs A, who's the mother of
a 15 year old daughter with autism and gender dysphoria, against the Tavistock
and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. The High Court gave its ruling on 1st December 2020,
and this was reported by all the major newspapers. I've read the articles from The Times,
Daily Mail and The Guardian. I've also got a report from the High Court of Justice dated
1st December 2020 on the landmark ruling of this case. Quincy Bell, as Keira was known,
and Mrs A claimed for a judicial review of the practice of the Tavistock and Portman NHS
Foundation Trust, through its Gender Identity Development Service, of prescribing puberty-
suppressing drugs to people under the age of 18 who experience gender dysphoria. Let's talk about
Keira first of all. Keira is a 23 year old, who from the age of 16 transitioned to becoming a man,
and now is transitioning back to becoming a woman. She suffered from gender dysphoria as a teenager,
and decided to undergo gender reassignment. She now regards this as a rash view of a teenager,
and said that teenagers do make rash decisions. Keira was given puberty- blocking drugs at age 16.
The Tavistock Center state that this is to give people time to consider their gender dysphoria and
whether they wish to undergo gender reassignment. However, once being given these drugs, it's been
shown that the vast majority of people who have had them then go on to receive cross-sex hormones.
Keira was then given testosterone at age 17, and had a double mastectomy at 20. She says that she
has been left with a beard, body hair and a deep voice, and a double mastectomy, and that her sexual
function has been affected. Moreover, she is not sure whether she will be able to have children,
and if she does, she certainly will not be able to breastfeed. She is now transitioning back to
being a woman. However, this will present medical hurdles as well as legal ones,
as legally she is a man. Keira said that she did not undergo a proper psychiatric assessment
prior to being given puberty-blockers, and that she was not challenged about her
decision to transition to becoming a male. The Tavistock Centre representatives refute this.
Her lawyers argued that 16 year olds are too young to be able to consent to such treatment, as they
are unlikely to understand the full extent of what the treatment might mean for them, that is,
and I quote, 'Long-term medical, psychological and emotional implications of taking puberty-blockers
and cross-sex hormones'. The landmark ruling was that children who are under 16 who want to undergo
gender reassignment can only consent to having puberty-blockers if they are able to understand
the nature of the treatment. This ruling will make it harder for children to receive puberty-blocking
drugs. Keira Bell is delighted at this ruling. She said that this will give more protection
to teenagers with gender dysphoria. She said that this judgment is not political,
it's about protecting vulnerable children. 'I'm delighted to see that common sense
has prevailed.' The judges said in their ruling that 13 year olds and children who were younger
would be highly unlikely to be competent to give consent to puberty-blockers.
Dame Victoria Sharpe, who delivered the ruling, stated that it is doubtful
that a child aged 14 or 15 could understand and weigh the long-term risks and consequences of the
administration of puberty-blockers. She added, 'In respect of young person 16 and over, the legal
position is that there is a presumption that they have the ability to consent to medical treatment,
but given the long-term consequences of the clinical interventions at issue in this case,
and given that treatment is as yet innovative and experimental, we recognize that clinicians may
well regard these as cases where the authorization of the court should be sought prior to commencing
the clinical treatment. In my next video, I will give a more in-depth summary of the High Court
ruling. Thank you for listening. It's Dr Beth Colby, a psychiatrist in London. 'Bye for now.