2021年经济学人 我是男还是女,这是个问题(2)（在线收听）

There is also evidence that the drugs may cause serious harm. One example is described by Michael Biggs of Oxford University in a letter published on April 26th in the Journal of Paediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism. Bone-mineral density (BMD) usually rises sharply in puberty. But of 24 GIDS patients who had been prescribed puberty blockers, a third had BMD scores in the bottom 2% of their age groups (more that two standard deviations below the mean).

也有证据表明，这些药物可能会造成严重的伤害。牛津大学的迈克尔·比格斯在4月26日发表在儿科内分泌和代谢杂志上的一封信中描述了一个例子。骨密度(BMD)通常在青春期急剧上升。但是在24名服用了青春期阻滞药的GIDS患者中，有三分之一的骨密度评分在其年龄组的最后2%(比平均值低两个标准差以上)。

One patient, who began puberty blockers aged 12, suffered four fractures by the age of 16. That medical history, says Dr Biggs, would usually be enough to diagnose osteoporosis—normally a disease of the elderly. Animal studies suggest puberty blockers may cause cognitive damage, too. Cross-sex hormones have been linked to heart disease, strokes and sterility.

一名患者在12岁时开始服用青春期阻断剂，16岁时发生了四次骨折。比格斯博士说，这种病史通常足以诊断为骨质疏松症——老年人中常见的一种疾病。动物研究表明，青春期阻断剂也可能会导致认知损伤。跨性别激素与心脏病、中风和不育有关。

The combination of rising prescriptions and flimsy evidence leads some doctors to fear a medical scandal is brewing. Others think that the only scandal would be to change course. A bill before Canada's parliament, for instance, would leave affirmation as the only legal treatment for gender dysphoria. The argument continues.

越来越多的处方和越来越多的证据使一些医生担心一场医疗丑闻正在酝酿之中。其他人则认为唯一的丑闻就是改弦更张。例如，一项提交给加拿大议会的法案将把“肯定疗法”作为唯一合法的针对性别焦虑的治疗方法。争论仍在继续。