The UK government has announced an “emergency ban” on puberty blockers for new patients.
According to GOV.UK, new legislation states that “no new patients under 18 will be prescribed” gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogues as treatment for “gender dysphoria or incongruence”.
These are medicines that “consist of, or contain” buserelin, gonadorelin, goserelin, leuprorelin acetate, nafarelin or triptorelin.
“The NHS stopped the routine prescription of puberty blocker treatments to under-18s following the Cass Review into gender identity services,” reads a statement on GOV.UK.
“In addition, the government has also introduced indefinite restrictions to the prescribing of these medicines within NHS primary care in England, in line with NHS guidelines.”
The new legislation, which will last from 3 June to 3 September, applies to prescriptions written by UK private doctors and prescribers registered in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
Patients who already take puberty blockers will, according to the statement, “continue to access them”: “They will also remain available for patients receiving the drugs for other uses, from a UK-registered prescriber.”
The ban follows the controversial findings of the Cass Review, an independent investigation into the provision of care to trans and non-binary youth and children and young people questioning their gender identity, or experiencing gender dysphoria, in England and Wales.
The Cass Review has been criticised by leaders in trans healthcare, including the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa (PATHA), who issued a statement criticising the lack of trans experts included in the report and raising concern about potential anti-trans bias.
In response to the report, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged “extreme caution” around the provision of gender-affirming care for young people.
Visit here for more information on the Cass Review and what it says about healthcare for trans youth.
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