Trans Children - the Other Story
When Leo is 11 years old, doctors in transgender care start giving him puberty blockers. There are risks with the treatment, but his family are not informed of them. One day Leo says his body is aching. Mission Investigate reveals what the doctors at Karolinska University Hospital knew but didn’t reveal.
At least thirteen trans children and minors experienced serious side effects and has suffered damages to their bodies from the medical hormone treatments administrated by Karolinska University Hospital.
Leo was treated with puberty blockers for almost five years without check-ups or controls. He is now 15 and suffering from constant pain due to weak bone density with fractures on two of his vertigos, damage that comes from the treatment and is regarded as permanent by the medical experts.
In this documentary we reveal that the chief doctor at the pediatric endocrinology department was alerted about his damages and requested to report it - but ignored the alert. Only after the story was aired an internal investigation was issued by the hospital. In the aftermath they have reported themselves to healthcare authorities, as children have been injured.
Doctors and professors have called for “a white book”, for all young trans patients' journals to be reviewed to identify damages they may have suffered due to the treatments.
Original title Transbarnen
Genre Current affairs, Documentary, Investigative
Year of production 2021
Duration 59 minutes
Reporter Carolina Jemsby
Producer Karin Mattisson
Produced by Mission Investigate/SVT
Festivals & awards Awarded an International Emmy in the Current Affairs category and Best current affairs program at Prix Europa 2019.
Rights available World-wide, all platforms