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No One Knows ‘Exact Role’ of Hormones in Sex Development, Doctor Once Said

‘Dr. Cutter issues warning in administering hormones’ to minors. Don’t worry. It was a long time ago.

Tucker Lieberman
2 min readDec 30, 2024

As seen in the New York Daily News:

Sometimes, a “growing child” doesn’t produce quite enough hormone, which slows their “sexual development.”

Hormones, Dr. Irving Cutter wrote, “have much to do with personality and well being. But as yet we do not know much about them.” So, “until research workers are able to tell us the exact role” of hormones, “physicians will be unable to prescribe their products with accuracy.”

“Parents have a right to be concerned about delayed sexual maturity,” of course. “But relief does not always mean supplying the missing chemicals.”

Instead, try feeding your child differently! Make your first efforts to fix “any other disorder” the kid may have. Consider the child’s “general health” before turning to a prescription for hormones, “which are uncertain in their actions.”

“The indiscriminate use of these products is to be condemned,” wrote Dr. Cutter. “They are quite too powerful to be given to youngsters unless the need has been proved beyond question of doubt.”

Print newspaper article: Dr. Cutter issues warning in administering hormones. The print is small, and the relevant parts have already been quoted in the Medium story.
Newspapers.com

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Tucker Lieberman
Tucker Lieberman

Written by Tucker Lieberman

Cult classic. Author of the novel "Most Famous Short Film of All Time." Editor for Prism & Pen and Identity Current. tuckerlieberman.com

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