Scotland to Adopt UK-Wide Indefinite Ban on Puberty Blockers for Under-18s

The Scottish government at Holyrood has declared that it will implement the United Kingdom’s permanent prohibition on administering puberty blockers to individuals under 18 years old who are questioning their gender identity. UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting informed Members of Parliament that he was extending the provisional ban, which was initially established in May, following a consultation and recommendations from the Commission on Human Medicines. Streeting characterized the previous application of these medications as a “scandal”. The Scottish government verified that, given that medicines policy falls under the jurisdiction of Westminster, the prohibition would extend across England, Scotland, and Wales. The announcement has elicited responses from advocates on opposing sides, with proponents of the ban praising its “integrity” and those against it labeling it “discrimination”. Puberty blockers are pharmaceutical agents employed to postpone or inhibit the onset of puberty. In July, an independent expert panel recommended to ministers at Holyrood that the administration of these drugs should be halted pending additional research. This counsel constituted one of multiple suggestions put forth by a group investigating the potential implementation in Scotland of the significant review conducted by paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass concerning gender services for children and adolescents. Scotland’s National Health Service (NHS) confirmed in April that it had temporarily ceased prescribing puberty blockers to children referred by its specialized gender clinic, The Sandyford, located in Glasgow. Subsequent to the announcement by the UK health secretary, the Scottish government affirmed that the permanent prohibition would also be effective in Scotland. A spokesperson stated: “The UK government has laid legislation to put in place an indefinite ban on new children and young people aged under 18 years from beginning to take puberty blockers for the purposes of gender incongruence and/or gender dysphoria, under the care of private or non-UK prescribers.” The spokesperson added: “As medicines policy is reserved to the UK government, this measure will apply to England, Scotland and Wales.” The UK government had sought advice from the Commission on Human Medicines regarding this matter, and the expert body determined that administering these medications to children for gender dysphoria presented an “unacceptable safety risk”. A provisional ban was initially instituted by the previous Conservative administration and has subsequently been extended on two occasions since the Labour party assumed governance. On Monday, Wes Streeting stated that the UK review uncovered instances where children received the treatment after completing an online form and participating in only a single online consultation with a healthcare professional. The Cass review had previously highlighted an insufficiency of evidence concerning the treatment of individuals under 18 years old with puberty-blocking medications. Upon its release, the review drew criticism from the Scottish Greens, who were then members of the Scottish government. The Sandyford Clinic in Glasgow opted to cease providing other hormone treatments to new patients aged 16 or 17 until they reached 18 years old, a choice that was met with disapproval by the charity Scottish Trans. Similar to other regions of the UK, Scotland has observed a notable increase in the number of young individuals exploring their identity or experiencing gender dysphoria. The Sandyford clinic represents the sole specialized service available for individuals under 18 in Scotland. A freedom of information request submitted by BBC Scotland News disclosed that, as of the close of 2023, 1,100 patients were awaiting services at the facility. In Scotland, 43 patients are still receiving either puberty blockers or “gender affirming hormones,” including testosterone or oestrogen, having been prescribed these treatments prior to the decision made in April. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.