Puberty blockers for under-18s banned indefinitely

The ban on giving puberty blockers to under-18s questioning their gender identify is to be made permanent, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced.

Streeting told MPs he was making the temporary ban introduced in May indefinite across the UK, following a consultation and advice from the Commission on Human Medicines - calling the way the drugs had been used a "scandal".

The expert group said prescribing the drugs to children for gender dysphoria was an "unacceptable safety risk".

Campaigners on both sides have reacted to the news, with those in support of the ban commending Streeting's "integrity" and those against calling it "discrimination".

A temporary ban was put in place by the last Conservative government, and had been renewed twice by Streeting.

He said on Monday that the review identified cases where children had been prescribed the treatment after filling out an online form and only having one online consultation with a healthcare provider.

The health secretary said it was essential for the government to be evidence-led when it came to healthcare.

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Source: BBC News, 11 December 2024