Puberty blockers for under-18s with gender dysphoria will be banned indefinitely in the UK, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced.
The government said that following official advice from medical experts, existing emergency measures banning the sale and supply of the drugs outside of clinical trials will stay in place.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said there is a need to “act with caution” and “follow the expert advice” in caring for this “vulnerable group of young people”.
He said the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) has found that the current prescribing and care pathway for gender dysphoria “presents an unacceptable safety risk for children and young people”.
He also referenced the findings of the Cass Review, which “raised safety concerns around the lack of evidence for these medical treatments”.
“We need to act with caution and care when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people, and follow the expert advice,” Mr Streeting said.
“We are working with NHS England to open new gender identity services, so people can access holistic health and wellbeing support they need.”
He added that the government is 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.”
The CHM has published independent expert advice saying that there is “currently an unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children”.
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‘Toxic debate’ around child gender ID
The commission recommended indefinite restrictions while work is done to ensure the safety of young people.
Puberty blockers pause the physical changes of puberty such as breast development or facial hair,
The NHS announced in March that children would no longer be prescribed them, after commissioning an independent review of gender identity services for children under 18 in 2020.
The review followed a sharp rise in referrals to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) – a specialised service for young people who experience difficulties in the development of their gender identity.
The review was led by Dr Hilary Cass, who concluded in a final report in April that the quality of studies claiming to show beneficial effects for children and young people with gender dysphoria was “poor”.
Then in May, a ban on puberty blockers was introduced by the Conservatives with emergency legislation, preventing the prescription of the medication from European or private prescribers and restricting NHS provision to within clinical trials.
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