Insight from Dr Helen Webberley

Informed consent HRT: what it means and how to access it Informed consent HRT means a doctor prescribes gender-affirming hormones once you understand and consent to the risks and benefits, without gatekeeping through psychological evaluation or a formal…

Is being transgender a mental illness? What the DSM-5 says Being transgender is not a mental illness. The DSM-5 removed Gender Identity Disorder entirely and replaced it with Gender Dysphoria, recognising that distress arises from the mismatch between…

Does affirming a child's gender identity cause harm? Affirming a trans child's gender identity does not cause harm. The research picture is consistent: trans young people with supportive families show significantly better mental health outcomes than…

What the evidence actually shows about detransition rates Regret and detransition rates in gender-affirming care are low across the research literature, generally under five percent, and studies that follow people over time show that the vast majority are…

Puberty blocker bans: what the evidence actually says Puberty blocker bans in the UK and beyond are political decisions that contradict the international medical consensus. Puberty blockers pause puberty temporarily and are reversible; stopping them…

DIY HRT versus supervised care: risks and harm reduction DIY HRT is hormone therapy sourced and managed without clinical supervision. The risks are specific and serious: thrombosis, meningioma with cyproterone acetate, liver stress, and dosing errors that…

Labour's Pride betrayal: visibility without protection Labour has maintained high visibility at Pride events while overseeing policies that have stripped rights from trans people: a continuation and entrenchment of the puberty blocker ban, stalled…

US trans rights: sanctuary states vs hostile bans Trans rights in the US vary dramatically by state. Hostile states have banned gender-affirming care for minors, restricted legal gender recognition, and limited trans people's access to public…

Chest surgery for trans men: why the double standard? Chest surgery for trans men is the same surgical procedure as mastectomy for cancer or breast reduction for cisgender women, but it faces far greater barriers: longer waits, psychiatric gatekeeping,…

GRCs, NHS wards and single-sex spaces: what the law says A Gender Recognition Certificate legally changes a person's sex for most purposes under UK law, including admission to gender-matching NHS wards. NHS trusts that exclude trans women with GRCs from…

Conversion therapy bills that exclude trans people Conversion therapy bills in the UK have explicitly excluded trans people from protection. Practices designed to change or suppress a person's gender identity remain legal under the proposed…

Trans identity, self-recognition, and despair in hostile times Questioning your trans identity during a hostile political climate is not the same as doubting who you are. The despair many trans people feel right now is a rational response to real external…