A Los Angeles County juvenile hall is being sued by the father of a boy detained at the facility after the child was prescribed oestrogen to treat a behavioural disorder which led to him developing gynecomastia, a swelling of the breasts and allegedly become scared easily and antisocial.
The boy’s father spoke to the LA Times under condition of anonymity said:
“He’s like a different person. He just wants to be in his room, and he don’t come out for nothing, all day in his room,” the father said. “He was never like that.”
The 13 daily doses of oestrogen began to be administered to the boy after he was diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder or ODD.
The boy was found to have a slightly above average amount of testosterone in his body and doctors administered oestrogen to reduce the male hormone linked to dominance and aggression however, James McGough, a professor of clinical psychiatry at UCLA told the LA Times:
“Oestrogen is not a treatment for ODD. I can’t be more emphatic about that,” McGough said. “You won’t find a reference anywhere that supports the use of oestrogen for ODD.”
Oestrogen is the primary female sex hormone. It is responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics.
It is alleged in the lawsuit that the boy in question was used for “experimental” purposes but the doctor who prescribed the hormone, Danny Wang, could not be reached for comment.
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