United Kingdom Bans Puberty Blockers For Trans Youth ‘Indefinitely’

The United Kingdom has issued an indefinite ban on puberty blockers in the treatment of transgender youth.

Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government in Britain had previously banned the prescription of puberty blockers from private doctors, a decision that was extended by new Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

Puberty blockers were banned on the NHS in 2023 after the controversial Cass Review urged medics to use “extreme caution” when prescribing them, and are only available to young people in clinical trials, or those taking them for non-transitional reasons, such as early onset puberty.

“Children’s health care must always be evidence-led,” said Streeting said in a press release. “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 need to act with caution and care when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people and follow the expert advice.”

Those who are already on puberty blockers will be permitted to stay on them.

The legislation will be reviewed again in 2027.

Puberty blockers ban extends across United Kingdom

The ban on puberty blockers extends across the United Kingdom.

The Scottish government has confirmed that since policy was reserved to Westminster, this means the ban would apply across England, Scotland and Wales.

Although not part of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland has also followed suit, with Deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly saying that “the protection and safety of our young people must be paramount.”

Following the UK general election in July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer committed to improving LGBTQIA+ rights, and to “rest” discourse around transgender rights, saying that “Labour will always treat trans people with respect and dignity”.

Youth activist group Trans Kids Deserve Better have set up an encampment outside of Streeting’s office. They previously organised a “die-in” at Victoria train station to protest the ban’s extension.

 

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