Britain is banning the use of puberty blockers for children, with the nation opting to only allow the drugs to be used for research purposes. Such drugs are routinely available and increasingly prescribed in the United States.
The National Health Service (NHS) in England published an update on Friday, stating: “We are… proposing that, outside of a research setting, puberty-suppressing hormones should not be routinely commissioned for children and adolescents who have gender incongruence/dysphoria.”
James Esses from the “Thoughtful Therapists” group welcomed the decision: “The fact that the NHS is holding firm on their intention to prevent the use of puberty blockers outside of the context of clinical trials is seismic.
“This will hopefully bring an end to vulnerable children being placed down a pathway to irreversible harm.”
Prescriptions for puberty blockers for under-18s doubled between 2017 and 2021 in the United States.