Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced an “indefinite ban” of puberty blockers for trans young people below the age of 18. Rather than being limited to the NHS, the ban will also apply to private healthcare providers.

This comes after the Commission of Human Medicine carried out a review which found there to be an “unacceptable safety risk” in continuing to prescribe the medication as a treatment for gender dysphoria. It will continue to be prescribed to under-18s for other conditions – apparently the safety risks are acceptable as long as you’re not trans.

“Of particular concern to the Commission,” Streeting said in Parliament today, “was whether these children and their families were provided with enough time and information to give their full and informed consent.” While Streeting is implying that puberty blockers are being handed out at the drop of a hat, this may come as a surprise to the teenagers who have had to face years-long waiting lists simply to get an appointment at a gender identity clinic.

Earlier this year, the Cass Review (which was commissioned by the previous government) found that the quality of evidence to support the idea that puberty blockers are beneficial to young people with gender dysphoria is “poor”,  prompting the Tory government to announce a ban back in May. The Cass Review, however, has been criticised for alleged bias: a paper published by academics at Yale University alleged that it “repeatedly misuses data and violates its own evidentiary standards,” is “rife with misapplications of the scientific method,” and fails to evaluate the evidence "in a neutral and scientifically valid manner.” 

The World Association for Transgender Health, along with many other expert bodies including leading trans charities based in the UK, also continues to advocate for the use of puberty blockers. 

Several politicians and public figures have criticised the ban since it was announced. The Green Party’s Sian Barry posted on Twitter, “Continuing the blanket ban on puberty blockers is a worrying decision. The same medication continues to be used safely by young people for other reasons. By relying on the reason for prescription, is this simply discrimination against our trans youth.” 

Writing on her Instagram story, journalist and author Shon Faye pointed out that a blanket ban outstrips even the “hostile” Cass Review, which acknowledged that puberty blockers do help some young people. 

“There are PLENTY of trans adults around who received treatment with blockers and/or cross sex hormones. Some are 30 now,” she wrote. “Yet in 15 years trans young adults like this won’t exist. Trans adults will most likely be traumatised and funding expensive and painful ways to undo pubertal changes. Evil!”