NHS poised to cease prescribing puberty blockers to trans-identifying kids beneath the age of 18
The NHS is set to stop giving powerful cross-sex hormones to trans-identifying children under-18, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The move to pause the prescription of oestrogen and testosterone to 16 and 17 year olds could come as early as this week.
It is understood medical experts are firmly behind the ban on the roll-out to new patients – but there will be a brief consultation period.
It is a hugely significant milestone in the ongoing battle over trans issues.
Puberty blockers were banned for younger children in 2024, but NHS had continued to continue prescribing the hormones to some under 18 year olds, even though their benefits are unclear.
The Mail on Sunday has seen a recent internal NHS document which acknowledges that injecting oestrogen and testosterone can cause blood clots, breast cancer, heart disease, stroke and ‘impaired sexual function’.
It also states the long term effects of these powerful hormones on teenage brain development is still unknown.
The document notes that the evidence base to support the use of these drugs in young people is ‘too weak’ to continue.
The ban of puberty blockers for children under the age of 18 would be a hugely significant milestone in the ongoing battle over trans issues
Any ban on the prescription of oestrogen and testosterone to trans-identifying children will be seen as a victory for campaigners who believe the harms caused by the drugs outweigh any benefits
Over the last decade, the number of children claiming to be trans has sky-rocketed.
This condition is known as gender dysphoria, but the NHS does not treat it as a mental illness.
Any ban will be seen as a victory for campaigners who believe the harms caused by the drugs outweigh any benefits.
Dr Alice Hodkinson, a GP from the campaign group Biology in Medicine said: ‘This has been a long time coming given the evidence of the harms these hormones cause.’
Boys taking oestrogen typically report smoother skin, thicker hair and softening facial features, along with a redistribution of body fat. Girls on testosterone grow facial hair, develop deeper voices and some are affected by male-pattern baldness.
Some of the physical changes caused by injecting hormones over a long period of time are permanent, especially for girls and young women.
Testosterone can cause incontinence and vaginal atrophy – a thinning of the walls of the vagina, which leads to bleeding and discomfort. Other side effects of the drugs include dyslipidaemia, polycythaemia, hypercalcaemia, and elevated liver enzymes.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘We do not comment on leaks. The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is paramount, and NHS England follow expert scientific and clinical advice when making decisions relating to clinical policies.’
