UK Charity Mermaids Investigated Over Puberty Blockers

The Charity Commission's investigation into Mermaids, a charity supporting trans youth, found mismanagement but no misconduct related to its support services. The inquiry revealed that Mermaids provided chest binders to children as young as 13 without parental consent and that its information on puberty blockers was deemed 'unclear', leading to the removal of claims about their safety and reversibility from its website. Concurrently, a $10 million NIH-funded study indicated no mental health benefits from puberty blockers in transgender children, which was withheld from publication by the lead researcher due to political concerns. The Charity Commission mandated that Mermaids align its practices with recommendations from the Cass Review, which criticized the evidence supporting puberty blockers as insufficient. Mermaids has since paused its chest binder service and revised its guidance to ensure parental involvement in future. The findings highlight ongoing debates over the treatment of gender dysphoria in youth and the responsibilities of charities in providing accurate medical information.