Britain’s Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced that the UK government says emergency measures that banned the use of puberty blocking medication for people under the age of 18 will now be made permanent.
Warning: This story contains details which might be distressing for some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.
The Health Secretary said the government was acting on expert medical advice. and use of the medication for gender dysphoria would now only be permitted in approved medical trials.
The Department of Health and Social Care said the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) had previously published independent advice that said there was “currently an unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children”.
Puberty blockers are used in the treatment of youth experiencing gender dysphoria. They halt the onset of puberty. Patients may later go on to use cross sex hormones and undertake surgery. Surgery rarely occurs before people are over the age 18.
Trans rights activists failed in a court bid to stop the government’s emergency action.
Speaking in the House of Commons Streeting said he understood the decision would be distressing to transgender youth, drawing on his own experience of accepting his homosexuality.
“I know it’s not easy being a trans kid in our country today, the trans community is at the wrong end of all of the statistics for mental ill health, self-harm and suicide.
“I can’t pretend to know what that’s like, but I do know what it’s like to feel you have to bury a secret about yourself, to be afraid of who you are, to be bullied for it and then to experience the liberating experience of coming out.
“I know it won’t feel like it based on the decisions I’m taking today, but I really do care about this and so does this government. I am determined to improve the quality of care and access to healthcare for all trans people.”
The decision will only affect new patients, those already taking the medication will still be able to receive it, and clinical trials are still permitted.
Britain’s move to wind back access to medications used to treat gender dysphoria comes after the publication of the Cass Review.
The Review was tasked with making recommendations on “how to improve NHS gender identity services, and ensure that children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria receive a high standard of care, that meets their needs, is safe, holistic and effective.”
Finding that there are “gaps in evidence” around treatment of trans youth, the report claimed the “evidence is weak and clinicians have told us they are unable to determine with any certainty which children and young people will go on to have an enduring trans identity.”
In the British parliament Streeting was questions by other MPs, including some from his own party, over his decision.
Greens MP Sian Berry noted that puberty blockers will still be used in treating youth who are intersex, and the ban is specifically on transgender youth accessing the medication. Berry described the ruling as “discriminatory”.
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