Do Children Need to Consent to Puberty?

The United Kingdom recently banned providing puberty blockers to minors. These drugs “pause” puberty, giving gender dysphoric minors time to “decide” whether they want to be a boy or girl. The British court reasoned , “It is highly unlikely that a child aged 13 or under would be competent to give consent to the administration of puberty blockers.” This makes sense. How can a child understand the long-term risks and consequences of taking synthetic hormones that stop the body from producing testosterone and estrogen, thereby preventing puberty and maturation?

Naturally, transgender advocates were in an uproar over the decision. Many took to news outlets, articles, and social media to express their outrage. Though their criticisms were unpersuasive, one particular response was especially absurd. Upset that the British court claimed children couldn’t consent to puberty blockers, one Reddit user responded with the following: “Then how…are they able to consent to puberty? Puberty is more serious of a decision and requires more maturity than blockers.” In other words, puberty is riskier than the drugs that block it.

Ridiculous as it is, this type of reasoning isn’t novel. Abortion-choice advocates have long offered similar arguments in defense of their view. Pregnancy, they claim, is a dangerous condition, and giving birth is more dangerous than abortion. They often list a myriad of complications that can possibly arise after a woman conceives. The bottom line is that pregnancy and childbirth are dangerous, so women should have access to abortion.

The view that treats puberty and pregnancy as undesirable processes stems from a more fundamental shift in thinking. Society has slowly abandoned the Christian worldview and its theistic implications. If there’s no God, then there’s no Creator who made our bodies to operate in a certain way. Organs don’t have a teleology —a way that they’re designed to function. If there’s no design, no standard, or no optimal way for organs to operate, then there can be no substandard or less-than-optimal way they function. A uterus can gestate a fetus or not. It can grow fibroids or not. It can be kept in a woman’s body or removed. Likewise, it is reasoned, genes and the endocrine system can progress a body through puberty or not. We can accept the process of puberty or block the hormonal pathways that lead to it. There’s no way our body is supposed to be. It just is, and we can do what we want with?it.

As a result of this worldview shift in our culture, some people think it’s possible that any process of the body is optional. That’s why they think puberty might need consent. Indeed, even life itself is a matter of consent for some, which is why physician-assisted suicide is gaining in popularity. But there are two fundamental mistakes with this thinking.

First, puberty (like pregnancy) is physiological. Physiology refers to normal body function—it is a healthy state. More specifically, puberty is a process that is consistent with the design of the endocrine system. Therefore, claiming puberty requires consent presumes it can be viewed as pathophysiological, a disease state. In other words, puberty is a condition for which puberty blockers are the treatment. But puberty and pregnancy are not abnormal processes or dysfunctions. They are normal ways the body operates. It’s true that either process can become dysfunctional, but so can any physiological process at any stage of development (e.g., your body can develop mutations, tumors, infections). Puberty and pregnancy, though, are not inherently pathophysiological.

Second, you don’t consent to natural processes. Natural processes—especially of body development—simply occur as a result of your being a living human. You don’t consent to being born, getting taller, or producing urine. They simply happen to you. In fact, we know they are normal processes because when they fail to occur in a person, we become concerned. If you consent to cause a disease process, then not only have you created a physical health problem, but it’s also likely you have a mental health problem.

In the same way, puberty is a natural developmental milestone in humans. If someone never experienced puberty, it would be a symptom of a disease process. They would need to be evaluated by a physician. That’s why it doesn’t make sense to consent to it or refuse consent. Puberty, like pregnancy, is a natural physiological process that ensures the continuation of the species.

Fortunately, most people see the error in this thinking. It’s puberty-blocking drugs—not puberty itself—that require consent. Even so, children can’t possibly understand the long-term effects and implications of synthetic hormones that pause a critical physiological process like puberty. Adults should be responsible for the welfare of their children, but sadly, too many have been deceived by society’s infatuation with transgender ideology.

As Greg Koukl says, “The world is confused. That doesn’t mean we have to be confused.” Every year seems to bring with it a new ideology that’s contrary to truth or common sense. Even though we have access to the truth (both special and general revelation), we can still become deceived (Col. 2:8 ). Therefore, stay vigilant. Grounding yourself in God’s truth will help you be less susceptible to the confusion.