The U.K. government recently announced an indefinite ban on puberty blockers for all new patients under the age of 18. This decision extends the temporary ban announced in May, which followed the recommendations of the Independent Review of Gender Identity Services chaired by Hilary Cass. The Cass Review, as it has come to be known, raised concerns that there is insufficient scientific evidence that puberty blockers are a safe way to treat gender dysphoria in children. Among other findings, the Cass Review noted the poor quality of published studies of puberty blockers, acknowledged the need to address mental health issues, and called for a provision for those who wish to detransition.
According to a press release from the Department of Health and Social Care, an independent review by the Commission on Human Medicines echoes the findings of the Cass Review. According to the CHM, there is an “unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children.” Current patients under age 18 who are taking puberty blockers may continue to do so. However, the drugs cannot be prescribed to any new minor patients who reside in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
But note carefully that with this decision, the U.K. has not rejected transgenderism in principle, even among children. Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting announced the indefinite ban will be reviewed again in 2027, following a clinical trial. The National Health Service remains committed to supporting the health of young people experiencing gender dysphoria. Streeting, Cass, and other medical experts are clear the ban is about establishing the safety of puberty blockers, not rejecting transgenderism. It is unclear at present whether transgender activists will challenge this decision legally. As WORLD reported, the U.K. High Court rejected an earlier challenge to the temporary ban in July.
It is noteworthy that the U.K. government is raising concerns about the safety of puberty blockers at the same time this issue is provoking controversy in the United States. Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments related to a 2023 Tennessee law that bans puberty blockers and hormone therapy for teenagers for reasons similar to the U.K. ban. The decision in United States v. Skrmetti, expected in June, will affect at least 24 states that currently place some sort of restriction on the access minors have to transgender procedures.
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Nathan is a professor of faith and culture and directs the Institute for Faith and Culture at North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C. He is the senior fellow for religious liberty for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, is a senior fellow for the Land Center for Cultural Engagement, and is a senior editor for Integration: A Journal of Faith and Learning. He also serves as teaching pastor at the First Baptist Church of Taylors, S.C.
