The document entitled “Information for Trans and Non-binary Fertility Preservation” is a step by step guide on how trans and non-binary people living in Scotland can freeze their reproductive egg cells (gametes) through NHS Scotland.

The Myth Of Irreversible Damage Challenged

The document outlines how hrt and surgical procedures affect fertility. Interestingly it reports that the:

“effects of hormone treatment on fertility are often reversible, there are many cases where trans people have stopped hormone treatment and been able to fall pregnant naturally, and havehealthy babies.”

This contradicts the long held gender critical narrative of HRT causing “Irreversible Damage”. That trans people taking HRT will make themselves permanently infertile and “damaged”.

The document goes on to further dispel the myth of it causing harm. It reports:

“Freezing your eggs before starting hormone therapy is recommended for those who may want biological children in the future. While fertility preservation might still be possible after starting treatment, you may need to stop hormone therapy for a time, perhaps two to four months. Planning fertility preservation before transitioning gives you options if you decide to try for biological children later.”

For years now TERF authors like Abigail Shirer have published books like “Irreversible Damage”. These books spread the false narrative of trans people mutilating their bodies to transition. Exaggerated the effects of HRT and caring them “irreversible”. Infantilizing yoing people as though they are all deluded by a “gender craze”. Not giving young people the respect and dignity to make informed choices about their bodies.

Balanced Guidance

This new guidance by the Scottish government highlights how much the gender critical use hyperbole, fear and a distortion of facts to terrify other parents into preventing their child from receiving the healthcare they need.

This new guidance is presented in an informative and rational format.

The following exert from the guidance highlights perfectly the right balance and approach that should be taken when discussing this issue:

“If you’ve already started hormone therapy, including puberty blockers or hormone blockers and wish to preserve your fertility, it may still be possible. You should speak with a fertility specialist. They may recommend pausing your medication to reduce how suppressed your ovaries are, and to potentialy increase the number of eggs that can be stored. If pausing hormone therapy for egg retrieval will cause distress to you, you may wish to explore other paths to parenthood, including using donor eggs or adoption.”

Who is eligible?

The document outlines the following eligibility for egg storage:

“To qualify for NHS-funded egg storage, it does not matter whether you are single or in a relationship, but you must meet specific criteria for fertility preservation. In Scotland, the current eligibility
requirements are:

• You must be under 40.
• Your BMI must be under 35.
• You must not have any biological children.

You must not have undergone sterilisation.Gender reassignment surgery after fertility preservation does not impact eligibility for NHS fertility
treatment. However, separate criteria apply to access NHS-funded fertility treatment to use your stored
eggs in the future. These criteria may change over time, and it is not possible to predict what the requirements will be in the years to come.”