Puberty blockers have been shown to cause long-term fertility problems in boys, according to a preprint study from Mayo Clinic.
The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, analyzed more than 130,000 sperm cells from male children with gender dysphoria.
All participants were 17 or younger. The researchers analyzed the testicular cells of boys who had been taking puberty blockers for anywhere from three months to 52 months, and compared them to cells of a control group who had not been on the blockers.
Among those on puberty blockers, the researchers identified mild to severe “sex gland atrophy,” determining that the medications accelerated the aging and function of testicular cells.
The findings suggest that puberty blockers’ impacts may be permanent — disputing claims that such effects can be reversed.
The researchers also detected cases of microlithiasis, which is marked by the presence of small clusters of calcium in the testicles. Additional research from Mayo Clinic has linked testicular microlithiasis to an increased risk of testicular cancer.
“We provide unprecedented histological evidence revealing detrimental pediatric testicular sex gland responses to [puberty blockers],” the authors wrote in the study findings.
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, was not involved in the Mayo Clinic research but commented on the use of puberty blockers.
“Thousands of U.S. children — more than ever before — are experiencing gender dysphoria and many go on to identify as transgender,” Siegel told Fox News Digital.
