The United Kingdom extended its ban indefinitely puberty blockers for people under 18, prohibiting prescriptions for medication used to treat gender dysphoria, the government announced this week. There will be exemptions for people who choose to take part in a clinical trial aimed at investigating the safety and effectiveness of puberty prevention, which is due to start next year. Young people already prescribed puberty blockers are allowed to continue taking them, the government said.
The British health secretary, Wes Streeting, announced the decision on Wednesday. He cited guidance from an independent panel that suggested there is “unacceptable risk” in prescribing puberty blockers to young people and recommended indefinite restrictions “while work on to ensure the safety” of these treatments.
“Children's healthcare must always be evidence-led,” Streeting said in a statement. “The independent expert Human Medicines Commission found that the current prescribing and care pathway for dysphoria gender and inappropriateness is an unacceptable safety risk to children and young people.”
The latest decision extends emergency measures was implemented in the UK earlier this year to prevent the sale and supply of hormonal drugs that may prevent puberty, which may be prescribed as a form of gender-affirming care. In March, Britain's National Health Service suspended routine prescriptions of puberty-blocking drugs for children and adolescents under the age of 18 at clinics, in response to a special investigation into the country's approach to gender identity in care. Cheers.
That review, led by the UK's top doctor, Dr. Hilary Cassfound enough evidence to prove that puberty blockers were safe for young people. Cass reiterated that they “should only be prescribed after a multidisciplinary evaluation and within a research protocol.” She described the medications as “powerful drugs with unproven benefits and risks.” big” in a statement responding to the announcement of the secretary of health.
“I support the government's decision to continue with restrictions on the provision of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria outside the NHS where these essential safeguards are not being provided, ” Cass said.
The government's emergency ban came into force in May.
The decision was criticized by advocates including Keyne Walker of TransActual, who said the ban was “plain and simple discrimination.” BBC News reported.
“Evidence of the harm of the temporary ban continues to emerge, and it will only grow now that it has been made permanent,” said Walker.
Streeting said new protocols for gender affirming care will prioritize and implement targeted mental health services for transgender children and young people in the UK, as well as their families.
“We're working with NHS England to open up new gender identity services, so people can access the holistic health and wellbeing support they need,” Streeting said. “We're setting up a clinical trial on the use of prevent puberty next year, to establish a clear evidence base for the use of this medication.”
James Palmer, the medical director for special services at the NHS, said the group welcomed the government's decision to extend the ban and also recognized the impact it had on transgender children.
“This will be a difficult time for affected young people and their families, so we are extending an offer of targeted support to anyone affected by the restraining order from mental health services ,” Palmer said in a statement.
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