The “Dutch protocol” has long been heralded as the gold standard in youth gender transitioning by proponents of “gender-affirming care.” A new scientific paper, published last week in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, discussed the origins of pubertal suppression in children with gender dysphoria and reviewed what we know and don’t yet know about the controversial practice.

The protocol was first proposed in the mid-1990s. Puberty blockers could be prescribed at the beginning of Tanner Stage 2, a developmental stage that is accompanied by the first signs of pubic hair growth, as well as breast budding in girls or testicle growth in boys.
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