Puberty blockers for under-18s with gender dysphoria will be banned indefinitely in the UK, outside clinical trials, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said there is a need to “act with caution” and “follow the expert advice” in caring for this “vulnerable group of young people”.

A freeze placed this year on their use to treat gender dysphoria will remain in place for young people under 18, except in clinical trials, Britain’s government said.

Puberty blockers for under 18s with gender dysphoria with be banned indefinitely in the UK because of an “unacceptable safety risk”, the Department of Health and Social Care, led by Wes Streeting, has announced.

The ban on giving puberty blockers to under-18s questioning their gender identify is to be made permanent, Health Secretary Wes Streeting says.

Streeting seeks to reassure trans youth amid indefinite puberty blocker ban - While health is a devolved matter, the ban applies across the UK.

An emergency ban on hormones used to suppress puberty in transgender young people in the U.K. has been extended indefinitely, the government said.

The ban appears to apply only to trans kids using blockers to treat gender dysphoria; cisgender kids experiencing precocious puberty will still be able to access the treatment.

It is just the latest nation in Europe to restrict health care access for transgender youth, citing safety risks.

Several countries have restricted the use of puberty blockers, citing insufficient evidence on their benefits for gender-questioning youth and potential long-term effects. View on euronews