UK Bans Puberty Blockers for Children Under 18
The UK is one of the countries now coming to the realization they must protect children from gender-affirming care. They are banning puberty blockers nationwide for youth under 18 years of age. It would be wise to make it 21, but 18 is better than what is going on.
On Wednesday, the left-leaning Labour government announced that puberty blockers for minors with gender dysphoria would be banned indefinitely across the UK, except for use in clinical trials.
The landmark Cass Review on children’s gender care found there was insufficient evidence to show these drugs were safe. It was a temporary measure enacted by the then-Conservative government and later upheld against a challenge in court.
The ban applies only to new patients.
The Independent Review of Gender Identity Services for Children and Young People (commonly, the Cass Review) was commissioned in 2020 by NHS England and NHS Improvement and led by Hilary Cass, a retired consultant pediatrician and the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. It dealt with gender services for children and young people, including those with gender dysphoria and those identifying as transgender in England.
The final report was published on 10 April 2024, and the Conservative and Labour parties endorsed it. The review led to a UK ban on prescribing puberty blockers to those under 18 experiencing gender dysphoria (except for existing patients or those in a clinical trial).
Common sense tells you not to do this to children who can’t make their own decisions about this life-changing transition.
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