GPs in Scotland have warned they're being told to give transgender patients unlicensed life-changing hormone treatments without proper safeguards in a new letter to MSPs.
Doctors have warned of the "dangerous" consequences of the treatment, with one signatory to the letter labelling them a "bomb" that "we are yet to see explode".
GPs have said patients are being discharged from gender clinics in Scotland with no proper guidance on how they should be looked after, while the side-effects of their hormone treatments are not being monitored well enough to develop a clear picture of the risks.
Dr Anne Williams, the vice-chair of the charity Scottish Council on Human Bioethics - and one of the GPs who signed the letter - said: "We are experimenting with our young people, which is dangerous, as they may have many years of their lives to discover and suffer the consequences.
GPs in Scotland have warned about the treatments in a new letter to parliament
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"Many GPs are very concerned that we are yet to see the bomb explode.
"Many young people have no concept of the idea of raising a family, but when they get to the age of 37, they may wonder where the next generation, their children, are going to appear from."
While another GP, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Times she had experienced patients suffering symptoms like urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction likely linked to their hormone therapy.
The doctor added: "GPs are being asked to prescribe without any GP specific protocol detailing how often to take bloods and what adverse effects to monitor for."
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One signatory to the letter to parliament labelled the treatments a "bomb" that "we are yet to see explode"
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She drew attention to the practice of affirmative care, where trans people are supported with identifying with their "new" gender, as potentially drawing attention away from other conditions.
She said: "Patients receive affirmative care so often their diagnosis of autism, or past history of trauma, are not diagnosed until after they have medically transitioned."
The doctor also questioned whether fellow GPs should be supporting access to hormone drugs, even when patients hadn't been treated for other underlying conditions.
She added: "Patients frequently present with increased anxiety and suicidal ideation post-transition.
The Cass report found there was a dearth of robust medical evidence behind hormone therapies
PA"A huge concern is that data on long-term adverse effects or harm is lost as it is not being collected in primary [GP] care."
Another GP cautioned against taking patients' testimonies at face value, and referenced one case where a child said they were feeling better to their gender identity clinic - while their parents remained concerned the patient was not engaging with school, avoided social situations and suffered from ongoing mental health issues.
South of the border, certain gender treatments have seen high-profile criticism - not least in the wake of the Cass report.
That report, commissioned in England after fears were raised about the Tavistock gender identity clinic, found there was a dearth of robust medical evidence behind hormone therapies like administering testosterone for trans patients, and recommended taking extreme caution when giving out prescriptions.
