Insight from Dr Helen Webberley

What trans youth advocates actually want from healthcare Trans youth advocates are not calling for hormones to be handed out without clinical oversight. What they are defending is the assessed, supervised, specialist-led framework of gender-affirming care…

HRT effects on sexuality, libido, and attraction Hormone replacement therapy changes more than the body's shape and chemistry: it often reshapes libido, sexual function, and sometimes the pattern of who a person feels drawn to. Oestrogen tends to…

Sensory issues, autism, and disliking your body Sensory differences and gender dysphoria are two distinct experiences that can overlap. Autistic young people are statistically more likely to be transgender or gender-diverse, not because autism…

Vaginal atrophy in trans men: causes, symptoms and treatment Trans men and nonbinary people on testosterone can develop vaginal atrophy because testosterone suppresses oestrogen, thinning the vaginal tissue. Symptoms include dryness, itching, pain during sex…

Hurtful speech costs trans lives. Here is the evidence. Hurtful speech directed at trans people is not a harmless expression of opinion. It contributes directly to the mental health crisis affecting the trans community. The Trevor Project found that 65%…

UN experts warn UK equality code puts trans people at risk Senior UN human rights experts have warned that the UK's revised Equality Code of Practice, in force as of 5 August, may place transgender and gender-diverse people at heightened risk of…

Puberty blockers: approved for some, banned for others Puberty blockers are medications that pause the hormonal process of puberty. They have been used for decades in children with precocious puberty, where puberty begins far too early, and are…

What does 'real' mean when it comes to gender? When someone asks whether a trans woman is 'really' a woman, they are asking which definition of 'real' counts, not settling a biological fact. There are several things gender can mean: the body you…

The Reality Of Being Trans That Most People Never See Trans people face challenges that are both deeply personal and shaped by the systems around them. Gender dysphoria, when it occurs, varies enormously: it might centre on voice, chest, periods, or…

Trans-inclusive policies don't come at the expense of women or LGB staff Trans-inclusive workplace policies do not come at the expense of women, lesbians, or gay men. The Equality Act 2010 protects gender reassignment, sex, and sexual orientation as separate, simultaneous…

Does the HHS 'Wolves in White Coats' report prove fraud? The 'Wolves in White Coats' report was commissioned by the Trump-era HHS and is a political document, not independent research. Its central fraud claim misreads how puberty blocker billing codes…

What puberty blockers actually do to the body GnRH agonists suppress the pituitary signals that drive gonadal hormone production; the gonads themselves remain intact. That distinction matters because it means the pause is genuinely reversible at…