Puberty blockers to be given only in clinical research - BBC News
peter.suber's bookmarks 2023-06-12
Summary:
Puberty blockers will only be prescribed to children attending gender identity services as part of clinical research, NHS England has announced.
The move comes after an interim report into children's gender services said there were "gaps in evidence" around the drugs....
Currently, if a child seeks medical help, the drugs are one of the options a doctor could offer to help delay the onset of physical changes that do not match a child's gender identity.
This change will come into effect when new clinics replacing the Gender Identity and Development Service (Gids) begin to open later this year. No patients being treated by the current Gids service will be affected.
Children and their families will also be "strongly discouraged" from obtaining gender-affirming drugs such as hormones, from "unregulated sources" or online providers...."