The New Zealand government announced it would ban doctors from prescribing puberty blockers to young transgender individuals with gender dysphoria as part of a "precautionary approach."
In a statement, Health Minister Simeon Brown said that Cabinet agreed to introduce new rules under the country's Medicines Act. These would align with New Zealand's approach to the United Kingdom's restrictions on the aforementioned medications, which are also known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues.
New Zealand Announces Ban on Puberty Blockers for Youths
Brown noted that these medications play a crucial role in treating a range of medical conditions. He added that they want to make sure that they remain available for patients who need them for various issues, such as early-onset puberty, endometriosis, or prostate cancer. He argued that in these cases, the medications have shown strong clinical evidence of benefit.
The announced changes will be effective starting on Dec. 19, 2025, and will not affect patients who are currently receiving the treatment. However, new prescriptions will be stopped pending completion of a UK clinical trial examining the medications' use for gender dysphoria, according to 1News.
Read more: Transgender Student Allowed To Use Bathroom at South Carolina School, Supreme Court Orders
The situation comes as the Ministry of Health revealed that in 2023, roughly 113 young people aged 11 to 17 were started on puberty blockers. Brown noted that the "stronger safeguards" would provide added "confidence that any treatment is clinically sound and in the best interests of the young person or child."
Brown added that the decision was made because the government is taking a "precautionary approach," given the "uncertainty" in the evidence about the medication's benefits or risks. Currently, gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues are not approved by MedSafe for use in delaying puberty in young people who have gender dysphoria or incongruence.
Increasing the Risks
Other countries, including Britain, have already placed a temporary ban on the sale or supply of these medications to individuals under 18 who are not already taking them. The latest ban in New Zealand is expected to have a significant impact on the lives and well-being of transgender and gender-diverse youth, said Elizabeth McElrea, an official of a transgender health body, The Guardian reported.
She argued that the ban will result in worsening mental health, increased suicidality, and dysphoria for gender-diverse children and young people. McElrea added that it would lead to a higher risk of experiencing marginalization and discrimination for these individuals.
The decision to ban puberty blockers comes amid a growing global debate regarding the number of adolescents seeking to change their gender. This has divided the people who are concerned about hastiness in prescribing such medications and others who are worried about access to remedies that they consider life-saving, as per the Daily Maverick.
