The UK has confirmed an “indefinite” extension to its ban on puberty blockers. The news was announced on Wednesday, December 11, seven months after a temporary ban was first introduced in May.
Speaking about the extended ban, Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said, “Children’s health care must always be evidence-led”.
“The independent expert Commission on Human Medicines found that the current prescribing and care pathway for gender dysphoria and incongruence presents an unacceptable safety risk for children and young people. We are working with NHS England to open new gender identity services, so people can access holistic health and wellbeing support they need. We are setting up a clinical trial into the use of puberty blockers next year, to establish a clear evidence base for the use of this medicine,” he continued.
Streeting concluded: “We need to act with caution and care when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people, and follow the expert advice.”
According to reports, the policy was amended to extend the UK’s ban on puberty blockers on Wednesday, and won’t be reviewed until 2027.
A day prior, on December 10, the Northern Ireland Executive also agreed to permanently ban puberty blockers, to align it with Britain. The region was thought to be a potential “back door” for trans youth in England, Scotland and Wales, who were seeking to access the gender-affirming treatment.
Several LGBTQ+ organisations and activists have since spoken out, condemning the ban. There will also be a silent protest held outside Stormont at 5pm on Thursday, December 12.
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Alexa Moore, Policy Campaigns and Communications Manager at the Rainbow Project stated: “We are extremely disappointed by the decision taken by the Executive to impose an indefinite ban on puberty blockers in Northern Ireland. We have made clear, in our meetings with Executive Ministers, that politicians should not override the expertise of frontline clinicians, young people and their families in taking the healthcare decisions that are best for them.
“We regret that the Executive have taken this decision when trans young people have had little or no access to adequate healthcare in many years. This ban compounds what was an already challenging environment for families and children here in Northern Ireland.
“We call on the Executive to provide meaningful and urgent support to the young people impacted by this decision,” Moore concluded.
The UK-wide ban comes despite major medical organisations around the world supporting the treatment, and research suggesting that puberty blockers are generally safe, effective and reversible. The medicines will also remain available to certain groups, including those already on them, people in clinical trials, and those using the medication for a purpose other than treating gender dysphoria.
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