What are puberty blockers? NHS bans hormone-suppressing drugs for children

On March 12, the National Health Service (NHS) in England announced that it would stop prescribing puberty blockers to children and young people at gender identity clinics after a review found there was "not enough evidence" they were safe or effective.

According to Planned Parenthood, puberty blockers or puberty-suppressing hormones are medicines that stop puberty. These are usually taken by people who are questioning their gender, such as transgender, intersex, or non-binary people.

The blockers suppress your hormones, testosterone, and estrogen, which leads to puberty-related changes like periods, breast growth, facial hair, or voice deepening.

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NHS to stop prescribing puberty blockers to kids due to "gaps in evidence"

NHS England has confirmed that children will no longer be prescribed puberty blockers in gender identity clinics, rather, they will only be available as part of research trials. It added that the reason for this decision was due to not having enough evidence to justify their use and their effectiveness.

This decision came after a review published by Dr Hilary Cass in 2022 cited that there were "gaps in evidence" around the drugs. There are fewer than 100 children in England who are currently prescribed puberty blockers and will be allowed to continue their treatment.

John Stewart, national director of specialized commissioning at NHS England, said that the responses to the consultation were "polarized" with several concerns raised about blockers being available for clinical research. The other side argued the ban, calling for puberty blockers to be available for everyone.

The consultation was first proposed in June 2023. Following the responses and a review of the available evidence by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), they decided to stop prescribing puberty blockers to children. A spokesperson said:

“NHS England has carefully considered the evidence review conducted by NICE and further published evidence available to date. We have concluded that there is not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty suppressing hormones to make the treatment routinely available at this time.”

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The Gender Identity Development Service (Gids) due to close at the end of March

Gids, a health clinic run by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust that specializes in working with children having gender-related issues, is due to close at the end of the month. Hilary Cass's review caused a sharp spike in the referrals at Gids, which saw an increase from 250 per year to over 5000 a year in 2022.

Two new centers will open in April, one in Great Ormond Street in London and a second in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. They will provide services that will be “fundamentally different from the current service, in line with the Cass recommendations."

Maria Caulfield, the health minister, welcomed the move, calling it a "landmark decision." She continued:

“The NHS must ensure its Gender Identity Services protect, support and act in the best interests of children and we will continue to work with NHS England to protect children in this area.”

National Health Service aims to conduct a new study into the use of puberty blockers by December 2024.