The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has announced it will pause prescribing cross sex hormones to people under 18 years of age who are seeking treatment for gender dysphoria.
The current guidance allowed the use of cross-sex hormone treatments once a patient was more than 16 years of age, now people will have to wait an additional two years until they reach their 18th birthday.
It comes after a review found that they previous research into whether the drugs may be of benefit, or if they have any harmful side effects, was “really weak”.
The moves comes after the government previously blocked under 18’s from accessing puberty blocker medication following the publication of the controversial Cass Review. The UK review has had a mixed response with some international researchers describing it as being significantly flawed.
Following the Cass Review the government announced it would conduct a study into the use of puberty blocker medication, but that research has been since been put on hold.
Outside of the United Kingdom Queensland has banned medical treatment for transgender youth until 2031 when the results of the planned study would have been delivered. New Zealand has also made moves to stop puberty blocker treatment.
The latest move from British authorities will be another blow to young people who are transgender wanting to commence hormone treatment. They will now have to wait until after they turn eighteen. The NHS says only a small number of teenagers will be effected by the policy change, and those already undergoing treatment would be allowed to continue.
The NHS has also announced the commencement of a new consultation over the longer term guidance on prescribing the medication.
The report did not find that the treatment was harmful, or that it had any clear benefit – just that there was not sufficient research to make a determination at the this time.
Speaking to the BBC Professor James Palmer, National Medical Director for Specialised Services at NHS England, said: “The NHS has exercised extreme caution when considering starting young people on this treatment.”
He said the review had been “exceptionally thorough and complex” and had “established that the available evidence does not support the continued use of masculinising or feminising hormones to treat” young people under 18 with gender dysphoria or gender incongruence.
That meant “we cannot say if they are harmful or effective”, he added.
TransLucent, a rights group for people who are transgender said they would critically assess the government’s announcement before responding fully, but labeled the move another act of discrimination against young people who are transgender.
The group also suggested they might consider taking legal action against the NHS.
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