Spanish women’s organizations have joined the international action of the Front Féministe, calling on health authorities to put an end to puberty blockers and hormones that they believe harm the health of minors who self-diagnose as trans. As part of their efforts, these organizations will deliver a letter and dossier to the Ministry of Health and Counseling of the CCAA on Tuesday, September 19th.
The organizations argue that regional laws and protocols promoting self-determination of sex in minors and adolescents reinforce the use of pharmacological and surgical options. On the same day, the International Feminist Front, consisting of 539 platforms and associations from 7 countries, will also address their respective Health Ministers, jointly demanding an end to treatments involving puberty blockers, cross hormones, and the removal of healthy body parts in minors who self-determine as trans. They are also calling for a reversal of laws and protocols that allow these procedures to take place.
The letter to be delivered to the acting minister, José Manuel Miñones, highlights the prescribing of puberty-suppressing treatments for girls and boys in Spain. These treatments can lead to sterility. Additionally, cross-hormonalization, which is being prescribed to minors, can result in serious health problems, anorgasmia or painful orgasms in girls, and impotence in boys. The removal of healthy organs from minors is also taking place, which contradicts the law.
Documentation presented by the organizations demonstrates that several European countries, including Sweden, Finland, Norway, the United Kingdom, and Denmark, have recognized the experimental nature of using puberty blockers to treat dysphoria. These countries prioritize psychological support and accompaniment over pharmacological interventions.
These organizations emphasize that medications prescribed for gender dysphoria have not been approved for that specific use. They express concerns about Law 4/2023, which allows surgical and pharmacological interventions to be carried out without consulting mental health specialists and the reinforcement of immediate prescription of treatments based on self-diagnosis in the different Autonomous Communities’ health protocols.
Just like in other countries, Spain is experiencing an exponential increase in cases of individuals seeking treatment to modify their sex. The majority of cases now involve teenage girls. This change has been identified as Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria. In view of this concerning situation, the organizations urge the Ministry of Health and the Ministries of Autonomous Communities to consider the arguments of families, women’s associations, and medical and scientific societies. They ask for urgent measures to be taken to stop these experiments on minors and adolescents.
The organizations describe the current situation in Spain as a “health scandal” that is increasing daily. They call on health authorities to follow the lead of other countries and take decisive action to address these issues.