A landmark drugs trial involving 200 children was supposed to answer thorny questions about giving hormones to adolescents with gender dysphoria. But rather than dampening down the controversy, the study – which has been paused by the medical regulator amid safety concerns – has become a flashpoint, says Dr Joseph Freer Y ou’d be forgiven for thinking that the medical world is in the grip of a new and uniquely polarised culture war over transgender healthcare . Last week, NHS England announced