Australia launches review of puberty blockers for gender-confused kids

The Australian Government has ordered a nationwide review of puberty blockers, following reports that gender-confused children as young as twelve were prescribed them without parental consent in Queensland.

Health Minister Mark Butler announced that the National Health and Medical Research Council will conduct a “comprehensive review” of the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines, and develop new national guidance, with specific guidelines on puberty blockers to be finalised next year.

Just days earlier, the Australian state of Queensland banned new child patients from receiving puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, after an internal review of the Cairns Sexual Health Service found that it had given the drugs to 17 children without authorisation.

Worldwide

Queensland’s Health Minister Tim Nicholls highlighted that “contested evidence” on the benefits of trans drugs is emerging from studies across the world: “France, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden have all tightened regulations around prescribing hormone therapy to children and adolescents.

“More recently, the United Kingdom has changed legislation to restrict the prescription and supply of puberty blockers to children.”

Queensland has been asked to no longer pursue its own analysis of gender services, in light of the national review.

‘Irreversible harm’

A letter signed by over 100 doctors, academics and lawyers urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to immediately halt trans procedures for all children across Australia.

a growing number of detransitioners believe their gender distress masked other comorbidities, including autism

They stated that “interventions including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries can cause irreversible harm, including physiological damage” and “issues concerning brain development and social and relational difficulties”.

“While lifelong impacts are yet to be fully understood, regret is real, and a growing number of detransitioners believe their gender distress masked other comorbidities, including autism”.

Detransitioner

UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting has also been advised to ban cross-sex hormones for children, or risk facing a legal challenge.

SinclairsLaw, representing detransitioner and campaigner Keira Bell and two others, has written to Wes Streeting to demand a ban on the sex-change drugs similar to the puberty blocker ban implemented last December.

Cross-sex hormones are used to induce bodily changes to make a gender-confused person appear more like a member of the opposite sex. These remain available to under-18s through the NHS and private providers.