Puberty blockers to be given only in clinical research

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.

Blockers are used to "pause puberty" and work by supressing hormone release.

Dr Hilary Cass's report called for a transformation in the model of care for children with gender-related distress.

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.

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Source: BBC News, 10 June 2023