Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39855724›Full record

SynthesisArchives of disease in childhood2025

Puberty blockers for gender dysphoria in youth: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Anna Miroshnychenko, Yetiani Roldan, Sara Ibrahim, Chan Kulatunga-Moruzi, Steven Montante, Rachel Couban, Gordon Guyatt, Romina Brignardello-Petersen

Erratum issuedAbstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Archives of disease in childhood, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Anna MiroshnychenkoHealth Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-1788-6234
Yetiani RoldanHealth Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Sara IbrahimHealth Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Chan Kulatunga-MoruziIndependent Researcher, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Steven MontanteMontante Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Rachel CoubanMcMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Gordon GuyattDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada guyatt@mcmaster.ca.
Romina Brignardello-PetersenDepartment of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimGender dysphoria (GD) refers to the psychological distress associated with the incongruence between one's sex and one's gender identity. To manage GD, individuals may delay the development of primary and secondary sex characteristics with the use of puberty blockers. In this systematic review, we assess and summarise the certainty of the evidence about the effects of puberty blockers in individuals experiencing GD.

methodsWe searched Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Social Sciences Abstracts, LGBTQ+ Source and Sociological Abstracts from inception to September 2023. We included observational studies comparing puberty blockers with no puberty blockers in individuals aged <26 years experiencing GD, as well as before-after and case series studies. Outcomes of interest included psychological and physical outcomes. Pairs of reviewers independently screened articles, abstracted data and assessed risk of bias. We performed a meta-analysis and assessed the certainty of a non-zero effect using the grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) approach.

resultsWe included 10 studies. Comparative observational studies (n=3), comparing puberty blockers versus no puberty blockers, provided very low certainty of evidence on the outcomes of global function and depression. Before-after studies (n=7) provided very low certainty of evidence addressing gender dysphoria, global function, depression, and bone mineral density.

conclusionsThere remains considerable uncertainty regarding the effects of puberty blockers in individuals experiencing GD. Methodologically rigorous prospective studies are needed to understand the effects of this intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42023452171.

Indexed as

Gender DysphoriaPubertyAdolescentChildFemaleHumansMalePuberty InhibitorsPuberty InhibitorsAdolescent HealthEpidemiologyPaediatrics

Identifiers

PMID39855724
PMCPMC12171406

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.