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Dutchprotocol.nl

Documentation project on the Dutch gender protocol — origin, scientific basis, international adoption, evaluations and criticism.

What is Dutchprotocol.nl?

Dutchprotocol.nl is a documentation project that systematically works out the so-called 'Dutch Protocol' for youth gender care. The Dutch Protocol is the treatment model developed at VUmc (later Amsterdam UMC) in the late 1980s and 1990s with puberty blockers followed by cross-sex hormones, which was internationally considered the gold standard for decades. The site maps the history, the scientific basis, the international spread and current criticism.

What is on it?

The site is divided into six sections:

• The Protocol — formal description and history from the late 1980s at VUmc;
• Scientific basis — the original publications by Cohen-Kettenis, Delemarre-van de Waal, De Vries and colleagues; research design, sample, control groups and methodological criticism;
• International adoption — how the protocol spread to the United Kingdom (Tavistock GIDS), Scandinavia, the United States and other countries;
• Evaluations — systematic reviews from NICE, SBU (Sweden), Karolinska, Cass Review (UK), Cochrane;
• Criticism and debate — scientific criticism (Biggs, Levine, Singal), ethical issues around informed consent with minors;
• Documents — primary sources, guidelines and official reports with direct links to PubMed, Cochrane and other databases.

For whom?

For researchers, policymakers, care professionals, journalists and the public who want to understand how the Dutch model came about, how it is applied and how it is now being assessed.

Tone and approach

The site emphasises that the evidence base has been classified by international reviews as 'very low certainty' and that central assumptions of the protocol have never been tested prospectively. The primary sources allow readers to verify this themselves. Disclaimer: the project is not affiliated with Amsterdam UMC or government bodies and provides no medical or legal advice.

Place within the network

The historical-medical dossier. Complementary to this site (see Dutch Protocol on Genderinfo.nl), the dedicated site goes deeper into the primary sources, the chronology and the scientific criticism.