Health Secretary urged to ban cross-sex hormones for under-18s

The Health Secretary has been urged to ban cross-sex hormones for children, or risk facing a legal challenge.

SinclairsLaw, which represented 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. They remain available to under-18s through the NHS and private providers.

‘Extreme caution’

NHS England advises “extreme caution” before recommending cross-sex hormones to under-18s, and extra safeguards and checks have been added following the Cass Review.

However, the legal challenge will argue that these drugs lead to “irreversible” effects and are an “unacceptable” risk.

Bell, who took the drugs prior to ‘detransitioning’, said sex-swap drugs “warp your being and, particularly for women, cause irreversible effects, changing your physical and social state forever”.

‘Life-altering’

The father of another person represented by SinclairsLaw explained: “During lockdown, my beautiful daughter spiralled into anorexia and was diagnosed with autism. She came out as transgender and found an online, offshore provider with which to access powerful, life-altering drugs within weeks and without my knowledge.

It should go without saying that we need to put a stop to this heinous practice

“She was started down a harmful pathway that will be hard to leave and that I was unable to prevent. I would not wish for other families to go through the heartache and loss I have endured.”

Bell stated: “It should go without saying that we need to put a stop to this heinous practice, imprisoning young people in a world of suffering, and start providing attentive, holistic support.”

Failure

Paul Conrathe, Senior Consultant Solicitor at SinclairsLaw, stated: “Given what we know about the unscrupulous and harmful practices of unregulated overseas gender clinics it is remarkable that the secretary of state has not banned the prescription of cross-sex hormones.

“He banned puberty blockers but failed to ban even-more harmful cross-sex hormones that expose children to irreversible lifelong changes.”

The lawyer added: “This harmful trade continues unashamed and emboldened at the failure of the government to protect vulnerable children.”