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Emergency measures to ban the sale and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones (also called puberty blockers) to those under the age of 18 have been made indefinite by the UK Government and National Health Service (NHS). While those who are currently on puberty blockers may continue to take them, they will no longer be offered to new patients. The legislation is already being updated, with plans to review it in 2027.
According to a report from the UK government, the ban on puberty blockers was put in place in March 2024. The impetus for the ban was the independent Cass Review into Gender Identity Services, which found that there was inconclusive evidence to show their safety. The Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) determined that the risk to children was unacceptable and recommended extending the ban until more research is conducted.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting commented on the importance of acting with “caution and care” when tending to the needs of “this vulnerable group of young people”:
“Children’s healthcare 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,” Streeting remarked.
He went on to note that his office intends to work with NHS England so that those who need it can “access the holistic health and wellbeing support they need.” This includes organizing clinical trials that will “establish a clear evidence base” for whether or not puberty blockers are safe and effective.
Dr. Hilary Cass, author of the independent review of gender identity services for children and young people, echoed Streeting’s caution, noting that “essential safeguards” have not been provided:
“Puberty blockers are powerful drugs with unproven benefits and significant risks, and that is why I recommended that they should only be prescribed following a multi-disciplinary assessment and within a research protocol,” Dr. Cass commented.
While the puberty blockers are now officially blocked – for those who are not already taking them – this is not to say that the UK is giving up on treating gender dysphoria. In their efforts to implement recommendations of the Cass report, they are opening a variety of centers to offer enhanced mental health support for all children and young people under the age of 18. These include up to eight regional mental health centers, of which three are already open.
