We know there is a huge debate amongst many that Lupron (leuprolide acetate) is used as a puberty blocker for adolescent children, and is sometimes used for precocious children, which is rare. However, what we are seeing is that this drug actually does far greater harm, not just to the body, but also to the minds of children. It is completely experimental. Lupron has been used to sterilize rodents, like rats and capybaras. The drug is also used for prostate cancer patients. Whatever the intended use of the drug, its harmful effects are entirely unnecessary, especially when it comes to the natural processes of pubertal development.
When you chemically alter the body, it is never 100% reversible. It takes time for the body to return to its original state, and often requires another chemical process. As a detransitioner myself, after ending the use of hormone replacement therapy with cross-sex hormones, the drugs I took have still left my body in a feminized state, particularly my chest. So, when we consider this, children put on puberty blockers like Lupron also need time to return mostly to their original state.
When you stop the development of the body with Lupron, brain development stops as well. It locks the brain in a state where it no longer develops naturally. The brain does not progress beyond an adolescent state because it either stops completely or remains on a spectrum of partially returning to its original state.
NOTE: There are no longitudinal studies on the long term effects of Lupron as a puberty blocking agent in children.
There are serious ramifications to using a drug that blocks brain development, including cognitive and behavioral issues, such as lower IQ and mental health problems. According to Sallie Baxendale, "There is no evidence that cognitive effects are fully reversible following discontinuation of treatment" (Acta Paediatrica, 2024-06, Vol.113 (6), p.1156-1167). She further states, "There is some evidence of a detrimental impact of pubertal suppression on IQ in children.”
It could be suggested that the cognitive decline in children’s brain functions due to puberty blockers is comparable to a traumatic brain injury, as these drugs induce a pause in brain development. Although there is no direct evidence of this, anecdotal cases suggest a correlation between the use of puberty blockers and an increase in behavioral issues. These issues often manifest in violent behavior among individuals under the age of 25. I mention age 25 because that is typically when full brain development occurs naturally. Children and young adults under this age are affected by these drugs, not just physically, but mentally as well.
Image: The University of Queensland
According to The University of Queensland, brain development happens at approximately 35 days, 100 days, 9 months, adolescence (around age 14), and is fully completed by age 25. We can conclude that any developmental delay in the human body will also affect the brain, with such delays—if not permanent—having lasting effects on cognitive decline and the potential to cause behavioral issues in children whose brains are not fully developed. Lupron is a drug used to block puberty in young patients who identify as trans. Delays in natural brain development due to such treatments can have lasting effects, impacting not just children but also young adults.
References
Baxendale, S. (2024). The impact of suppressing puberty on neuropsychological function: A review. Acta Paediatrica, 113(6), 1156–1167. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.17150
Timeline of brain development. https://stories.uq.edu.au/the-brain/2022/timeline-of-brain-development/index.html
Yu, J. H., Brown, J., Boisseau, N., Barthel, T., & Murray, S. (2021). Effects of Lupron and surgical castration on fecal androgen metabolite concentrations and intermale aggression in capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). Zoo Biology, 40(2), 135–141. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21586