University of Wisconsin approves $600,000 grant to study 'lasting effects' of puberty blockers on children's brains

In July, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) approved a $600,000 Collaborative Health Sciences Program grant by the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) to study the effects puberty blockers have on a child's brain. 

According to documents obtained by the Daily Caller, the study was proposed in April to investigate the effects of cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers on rats. Those conducting the study hypothesized that the drugs lead to "lasting changes" in the developing brain.

 A slideshow presentation to the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) said researchers expected to see "decreasing adolescent anxiety," but also potential changes in “biomarkers associated with mental health risk, fertility, bone and kidney health.”

The presentation showed that they plan to see how "leuprolide," also known as Lupron, affects "pubescent rats." Lupron is prescribed off-label as a puberty-blocking agent in gender-confused youth, but also used to chemically castrate sex offenders, and treat precousous puberty, among other uses. 

The outlet notes that one of the researchers, Dr. Wilid Farhat, admitted that research into the effects of using puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones is "severely lacking" despite major medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) claiming they are reversible. 

The policy of UW's LGBT Health and Wellness committee follows that of the AAP in stating that the use of Lupron is reversible. "Gonadotrophin-releasing hormones (GnRH) have been used to delay puberty since the 1980s for central precocious puberty,” it says. 

"These reversible treatments can also be used in adolescents who experience gender dysphoria to prevent the development of secondary sex characteristics and provide time up until 16 years of age for the individual and the family to explore gender identity, access psychosocial supports, develop coping skills, and further define appropriate treatment goals. If pubertal suppression treatment is suspended, then endogenous puberty will resume.”

The approved study, however, hypothesizes that Lupron will have "lasting effects on the brain, behavior, and peripheral physiology” from “short-term leuprolide treatment." 

Activists have long cited the AAP as well as the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) standards of care to say that Lupron is "fully reversible." Even though the Food and Drug Administration has not approved them for use on gender-confused children. 

In May 2022, the President of WPATH Dr. Marci Bowers made a stunning admission. Bowers said that no male patients who had undergone puberty blockers and then cross-sex hormones were able to attain sexual satisfaction as adults.

"An observation that I had, every single child who was, or adolescent, who was truly blocked at Tanner stage 2, has never experienced orgasm. I mean, it's really about zero," Bowers said. 

Yet after these comments, the WPATH organization wrote in their Standards of Care version 8, that puberty blockers are "fully reversible."