U.K. indefinitely bans puberty blockers for people under 18
CBSN
The United Kingdom indefinitely extended a ban on puberty blockers for people younger than 18, barring medication prescriptions used to treat gender dysphoria, the government announced this week. There will be exemptions for people who choose to participate in a clinical trial aiming to study the safety and effectiveness of puberty suppression, which is set to begin next year. Young people already prescribed puberty blockers are allowed to continue taking them, the government said.
Britain's health secretary, Wes Streeting, announced the decision Wednesday. He cited guidance from an independent panel that suggested prescribing puberty blockers to young people carries an "unacceptable risk" and recommended indefinite restrictions "while work is done to ensure the safety" of those treatments.
"Children's healthcare must always be evidence-led," Streeting said in a statement. "The independent expert Commission on Human Medicines found that the current prescribing and care pathway for gender dysphoria and incongruence presents an unacceptable safety risk for children and young people."
The United Kingdom indefinitely extended a ban on puberty blockers for people younger than 18, barring medication prescriptions used to treat gender dysphoria, the government announced this week. There will be exemptions for people who choose to participate in a clinical trial aiming to study the safety and effectiveness of puberty suppression, which is set to begin next year. Young people already prescribed puberty blockers are allowed to continue taking them, the government said.
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