Children’s gender question axed from NHS survey

A question asking children as young as 10 if they feel ‘comfortable with their gender’ has been removed from an NHS survey after a furious backlash from parents. 

The questionnaire handed out to pupils in Year 6 across schools in Lancashire asked them to tick a box to fill in their actual gender, where they were given the choice between ‘girl’, ‘boy’ and ‘other’.

But the controversial questions have now been scrapped by the Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust after parents and MPs claimed the invasive survey could in fact confuse children.

A question asking children as young as 10 if they feel ‘comfortable with their gender’ has been removed from an NHS survey (file photo)

Dozens of children a week sent to gender reassignment doctors

The NHS does not offer gender reassignment surgery to people under the age of 18.

But 50 children a week – some of them as young as four – are being sent to gender reassignment doctors because they think they were born in the wrong body, it emerged earlier this year.

Some experts believe that while some children are clearly trapped in the wrong body and in desperate need of help, many are simply confused about their sexuality and identity during puberty.

Last month, Mermaids, Britain’s only nationwide charity for transgender and ‘gender diverse’ children, reported a 700 per cent rise in calls and emails in three years.

Growing numbers of young people are also sharing their stories of changing sex on video-sharing websites such as YouTube.

Parents were told the survey assists teachers and healthcare workers to develop ‘better ways to understand and support’ youngsters who might have difficulty with their own identities.

But Tory MP Tim Loughton, a former children’s minister, said that the questions asked were ‘deeply worrying’.

He said: ‘At a time when children are growing up and having to deal with all sorts of challenges of the modern world, now they are being asked to confront their gender, which for many will be unsettling.

‘Clearly we need to be sensitive about the issue of gender and sexual orientation but forcing children to question whether they are the right gender so early on can be deeply destabilising’. 

Parents also took to social media to share their concerns. 

Claire Beverley wrote: ‘I got a letter from NHS Lancashire telling me that all year 6 children will be required to fill out a health questionnaire in school to help them better understand the needs of children in the area. 

‘Now, that doesn’t sound too bad does it? But when I followed the link to the questionnaire I was really shocked at the type of questions they are asking, bearing in mind that these are still only 10 and 11 year old children.’

And Michael Beverley said: ‘Asking a 10-11 year old to clearly explain themselves on paper in a format they’ll mostly associate with ‘testing’ can’t possibly yield useful results.

‘The government should be spending the money/energy on encouraging and educating teachers and parents to ask these questions. 

Parents were told the survey assists teachers and healthcare workers to develop 'better ways to understand and support' youngsters who might have difficulty with their own identities (file photo)

Parents were told the survey assists teachers and healthcare workers to develop ‘better ways to understand and support’ youngsters who might have difficulty with their own identities (file photo)

TODDLERS READ TRANSGENDER BOOKS

It was revealed this month that children as young as three are being read transgender books which encourage them to question their gender.

The books are on reading lists for nurseries and primary schools provided by Educate and Celebrate, an organisation funded by the Department for Education to help schools prevent transphobia.

Questions for discussion at the back of the book include: ‘Does it matter if Tiny is a boy or a girl?’ and ‘Should Tiny be allowed to play football and dress up as a fairy?’

The books aim to promote tolerance of transgender people among young children, but critics say it will confuse them.

‘Someone needs to be in the room with a child when these questions are being raised to comfort, clarify, and ask necessary follow up questions.

‘These issues shouldn’t be handled in a government building by post. 

‘They shouldn’t even be asked in this format because there is a huge chance at-risk children are not going to bother repeating their complaint.’

Mother Kirsty Anne Porter said: ‘I don’t like it at all! I think it puts a lot of ideas into children’s heads, that for the majority of children, don’t need to be thought of. 

‘Why can’t we just keep children as children?’

Parent Christine O’Donovan said while children needed help and advice, some could be affected by the questions.   

And also commenting on the issue, Helen Stringfellow said while discussions were important, such issues could be ‘too adult for many kids.’

She added: ‘I don’t know what the answer is really, not with society the way it is. We can’t ignore the prevalent issues, but also don’t want to introduce them to our young ones unnecessarily early.’ 

Some 50 children a week – some of them as young as four – are being sent to gender reassignment doctors because they think they were born in the wrong body (file photo)

Some 50 children a week – some of them as young as four – are being sent to gender reassignment doctors because they think they were born in the wrong body (file photo)

A spokesman for the Lancashire NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘We recognise that these are important issues and the need for sensitivity and an appropriate approach, particularly with very young children. 

‘As such we will be adopting a more targeted approach to this in the future rather than asking this question universally of all children.’ 



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