New Zealand bans new puberty blocker prescriptions for trans youth until UK trial ends
Health minister Simeon Brown announced the decision on 19 November in an X post, citing recent reviews and a precautionary approach
By Callum Wells
New Zealand will ban new prescriptions of puberty blockers for transgender young people while it waits for the results of a major UK clinical trial expected in 2031.
From 19 December, doctors will no longer start patients on gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for gender dysphoria. Young people already receiving treatment will continue. The drugs will remain available for early-onset puberty, endometriosis, prostate cancer, and cases where “clinical evidence clearly demonstrates their benefit”.
Health minister Simeon Brown announced the decision on 19 November in an X post, citing recent reviews and a precautionary approach.
“This wasn’t a political review, it was clinical” – New Zealand’s health minister Simeon Brown
“When it comes to children’s health, clinical evidence must guide decisions to ensure any medicine given to young Kiwis is proven, safe and effective,” Brown wrote.
“The independent Cass Review, commissioned by the UK’s NHS, identified considerable uncertainty about the long-term safety and clinical effectiveness of hormone-suppressing treatments for gender dysphoria or incongruence. This wasn’t a political review, it was clinical.
“New Zealand’s own Ministry of Health reached the same conclusions in November 2024.
“Its evidence brief found significant limitations in the quality of evidence regarding both benefits and risks when hormone-suppressing treatments are used for the treatment of gender dysphoria or incongruence.”
The review has been criticised by medical groups, LGBTQ+ organisations, and academics
Published in April 2024, the Cass Review recommended caution on puberty blockers and changes to gender-affirming care in England. After the report, the UK banned private prescriptions of puberty blockers for minors. Labour upheld the ban after its July 2024 election and later extended it indefinitely.
The review has been criticised by medical groups, LGBTQ+ organisations, and academics. The British Medical Association described it as “deeply flawed” and said it relied on a “selective and inconsistent use of evidence”.
In May, the NHS launched a £10 million trial led by King’s College London to assess the effects of puberty blockers on trans young people. Brown said New Zealand will wait for the results before reconsidering its policy. “Cabinet has put in place stronger safeguards so families can have confidence that any treatment is clinically sound and in the best interests of the child,” he said.