British government makes puberty blocker ban for kids permanent

null / Credit: MargJohnsonVA/Shutterstock

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 12, 2024 / 11:25 am (CNA).

The United Kingdom’s ban on children receiving puberty-blocking drugs to facilitate a gender transition is now permanent, according to an announcement from the country’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

In a Dec. 11 statement, the DHSC wrote that the “emergency measures that restricted the sale of puberty-suppressing hormones will be made indefinite.” In March, England paused the prescription of puberty blockers for gender transitions and Scotland followed suit in April.

According to the statement, the decision is based on “independent expert advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM),” which has determined “there is currently an unacceptable safety risk.”

“We are prioritizing patient safety, which is why we have accepted CHM’s recommendations in regards to this legislation,” the statement read.

The initial pause in allowing children to receive puberty blockers was prompted by the Cass Review — an independent analysis of studies on minors who receive these drugs, which was led by Dr. Hilary Cass. The study found no comprehensive evidence to support the routine prescription of transgender drugs to children who have gender dysphoria. 

According to the DHSC statement, in addition to the Cass review, later reviews also “found insufficient evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty blockers for adolescents.”

“[The CHM] has also advised that the current prescribing environment is unsafe and that an indefinite ban should be put in place until a safer prescribing environment can be established,” the statement continued.

Additionally, the DHSC noted that the CHM has “found poor medical and prescribing practice” in regard to gender transitions for minors. The department added that the CHM “saw evidence of poor-quality advertising, prescribing, and communication by private practitioners to children and young people that would constitute unsafe practice.”

“As an example, CHM found instances where children received prescriptions after filling out online questionnaires and a brief call with prescribers outside the U.K.,” the statement read.

In the United States, doctors can legally prescribe transgender drugs to children in about half of the states. According to a study by Do No Harm, at least 13,994 children underwent gender transitions in the United States from 2019 through 2023. The study also found that nearly 150 Catholic hospitals provided gender transitions in conflict with guidelines from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.