The National Board of Health and Welfare is reversing the trans-care of young people

In a number of reports, Assignment review has revealed shortcomings in trans care.

The report has shown that the scientific basis for hormone treatments of young people is deficient, which means that it is not possible to know if they are useful, or whether they are safe. 

The report

, which was published in November, revealed that at least thirteen minors had serious side effects and injuries from hormone treatments. 

Shortly after the publication, the National Board of Health and Welfare announced that their new knowledge support, planned to be presented in December, had been postponed.

As it is now published, it contains major changes. 

The risks outweigh the benefits

In the previous knowledge support from 2015, the National Board of Health and Welfare recommended treatment with stop hormones, which pauses puberty, and described it as "safe and secure". 

In the new knowledge support, the authority states that the risks of hormone treatments outweigh the possible benefits.

Therefore, the recommendation is that the treatments should be done within the framework of research studies. 

They write: "While waiting for a research study to take place, our assessment is that the treatments can be given in exceptional cases".

- The existing studies do not provide sufficient information about the treatment.

We can not rule out negative effects of it and we do not know if it is useful, it is always associated with problems and risk, says the National Board of Health and Welfare's department head Thomas Lindén to Assignment review.

When Karolinska University Hospital in May last year decided on similar guidelines for the care of young people with gender dysphoria, the National Board of Health and Welfare was critical.

So now the authority is making a complete U-turn.

The National Board of Health and Welfare also raises the risk of remorse and that there may be a large number of people who regret their gender-confirming treatments, with permanent injuries.

800 children have been treated

The Swedish Agency for Medical and Social Evaluation, SBU, has carried out a new review of the research situation and once again confirms that the scientific basis is insufficient.

In total, around 800 children and young people with gender dysphoria in Sweden have received these treatments.

Due to the uncertainty and the risks, the care must henceforth have the consent of both guardians and young people before treatment begins.

Assignment review has sent several reports about Transvården.

After the "Tranståget" in 2019, the government commissioned several authorities to investigate health care and the state of knowledge.

The National Board of Health and Welfare was commissioned to update the knowledge support.