Woman prescribed puberty blockers by Tavistock clinic was asked 'if her friends were boys or girls'

Woman prescribed puberty blockers by Tavistock clinic was asked 'if her friends were boys or girls'
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Jamie  Micklethwaite

By Jamie Micklethwaite


Published: 31/07/2022

- 15:30

Updated: 31/07/2022

- 17:14

Keira Bell has bravely spoken out after the Tavistock gender clinic for children was closed

A brave woman has spoken out about her experiences at the NHS Tavistock clinic for gender services after the government confirmed it would be closing.

The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust was told to shut the clinic by Spring after it was roundly criticised in an independent review.


The review found children were being put at risk of poor mental health and distress.

Keira Bell, who has previously appeared on GB News, told of the damage the clinic had done to her life by prescribing her puberty blockers.

Keira Bell
Keira Bell
GB News

She said: "The case was to prevent puberty blockers from being prescribed at all to under-18s.

"But I just wanted the Tavistock to realise that what they’re doing has repercussions.

"The fact that it’s closing down is symbolic because what they’ve done there has been despicable. These are people’s lives.

"My whole life has been affected and I’m not getting any relief from the medical issues I’m having. You can’t even describe how much damage they caused."

Ms Bell said she was suffering an "identity crisis" at the time, but the Tavistock trust was keen to appease her rather than examining her mental health.

She was then identified as a man, using her preferred name of "Quincy", and diagnosed puberty blockers.

Keira only realised her mistake after undergoing a double mastectomy and gender reassignment surgery after taking puberty blockers at the age of 16.

Tavistock Clinic
Tavistock Clinic
Google Maps

She also told the Mail on Sunday: "It’s been a long time coming, but I believe an important change is occurring and now at least the awful experience I have had hasn’t happened in vain.

"I just hope that what this will mean is the end of the medicalisation of children.

"They asked questions such as “How was I growing up? What was my style of dress, and were my friends boys or girls?.

"They didn’t explore any of my background or mental health. It seemed they just wanted to appease me, using my chosen male name Quincy and affirming me as a boy.

"I thought, 'Well, I’m being taken to a hospital', so at that age I thought it all must be OK and safe,’ she says.

"Now I think, “What the hell happened?” I should have had psychotherapy for several years before I was allowed to take such medication.

"I definitely shouldn’t have been allowed to do that as a minor."

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