Rubio calls for investigation into potentially manipulated research on puberty blockers
A study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) failed to publish findings on the effects of puberty blockers on children, years after the study was completed. Researchers are concerned that their findings may justify banning puberty blockers for minors. Political manipulation of research is a serious misuse of taxpayer funds, undermines the integrity of science, and can endanger America’s youth
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) sent a letter to NIH Director Monica Bertagnoli criticizing this misuse of taxpayer dollars and saying researchers intentionally withheld information from their studies. We requested the NIH to investigate whether the information was manipulated or manipulated.
“Hundreds of children are being exposed to harmful chemicals through this $5.7 million grant, and Americans deserve to know the full implications of this project that their tax dollars paid for…” Investigate this group of researchers to assess whether they are intentionally withholding information from the public about the truth of the use of puberty blockers in adolescents and to prevent them from receiving future federal funding There is a need.”
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear Dr. Bertagnoli:
I am writing about National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for Dr. Joanna Olson-Kennedy’s research on the effects of exposing children to puberty-blocking drugs. More than nine years after the Obama administration supported this research, the researchers have yet to publish their findings, reportedly refusing to do so due to concerns about the political implications of their findings. It is being This decision is not made by Dr. Olson-Kennedy, but by the American people and their elected representatives who funded this research.
NIH is an important institution trusted to accelerate high-quality research to solve some of the most vexing health challenges of our time. When Americans hire scientists through research grants to study the great health challenges of our time, we trust that those scientists will carefully disentangle their own political leanings from their research. I’m leaving it there. Sadly, Dr. Olson-Kennedy appears to have abused his position of trust to hide his political ideology behind a veil of scientific legitimacy.
As you may know, Dr. Joanna Olson-Kennedy received funding from a $5.7 million NIH award to study the physical and psychological effects of children receiving hormone blockers or cross-sex hormones. I was one of a group of researchers who received the In the 2020 report, Professor Olson-Kennedy initially said that around a quarter of young people studied experienced suicidal thoughts or symptoms of depression. Recently, she recanted these claims and said that the reason puberty blockers did not improve the mental health of the children who participated in her study was because the children were in “very good condition” before the study began. ” and made contradictory statements. Dr. Olson-Kennedy claims she intends to publish the data, but she is delaying it because she says the study results show that puberty blockers do not improve young people’s mental health. This is because they are afraid of being used for their own purposes. Common sense Americans already understand this and are rightly outraged that these drugs are being used by children, some as young as 11 years old. The fact that Dr. Olson-Kennedy is hiding the results of publicly funded research based on political bias is outrageous and unacceptable.
At a 2022 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, I questioned former NIH Director Dr. Lawrence Tabak about the safety and effectiveness of exposing children to puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. Dr. Tabak told the committee that the NIH has “funded a small number of observational studies to collect data on the effectiveness of treatments chosen by transgender youth and their parents…However, research in this area It’s all observational.” We don’t do any intrusive work. ” Dr. Olson Kennedy’s track record directly contradicts this claim. Tax dollars should not be used to harm children in this way. But because of the Obama administration’s reckless disregard for child safety, hundreds of children are being exposed to harmful chemicals through this $5.7 million grant that Americans paid for with their tax dollars. You have the right to know the full meaning of this project.
The author’s long delay in publishing the study’s final results may suggest an intent to manipulate the data and conclusions to achieve a desired outcome and to undermine scientific integrity. I remain deeply concerned. The NIH is investigating this group of researchers to assess whether they are intentionally withholding information from the public about the truth of the use of puberty blockers in adolescents and to ensure that they receive future federal funding. It is necessary to prevent this from happening. We also ask for answers to the following questions:
Dr. Olson-Kennedy has provided conflicting information, so please clarify the mental status of the children in the study prior to administering puberty blockers. Does the NIH consider political bias on research questions when awarding grants to researchers? How does the NIH ensure that data bias and manipulation do not occur in federally funded research? Did the researchers who participated in this study comply with the NIH requirement to submit progress annually to the NIH? When will the researchers submit the final conclusions of the study and make the data publicly available? Do you have it?
Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
