We need a 'pragmatic approach' to puberty blockers, medical professionals say

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-07-17 00:01

New Zealand

Photo by Delia Giandeini on Unsplash

Blanket bans on puberty blockers are unethical, according to NZ medical experts looking at the ethical considerations around giving puberty blockers to youth whose gender doesn't match their assigned sex. These include risks - also faced by children taking these meds for other reasons - versus mental health benefits, and informed consent, which the paper authors say depends on each child's ability to understand the risks and benefits. They say clinicians take a 'pragmatic approach' to limited evidence when treating other uncommon conditions so, while long-term research into the meds is important, there shouldn't be a demand for more evidence compared to treatments for other conditions.

News release

From: New Zealand Medical Journal (NZMJ)

Reversible pubertal suppression (puberty blocking) can be used in transgender and gender diverse young people to temporarily stop the production of sex hormones. By pausing the physical effects of puberty, they can help prevent the distress of gender dysphoria in transgender people. They also allow young people time to mature without the distress associated with pubertal changes, before making decisions about whether hormone therapy is right for them. This paper takes a clinical ethics approach to puberty blockers, outlining the key ethical principles involved in decision-making and concluding that a blanket ban would be harmful and unjust.

Journal/
conference: New Zealand Medical Journal

Organisation/s: University of Otago, Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand, Liggins Institute

Funder: N/A. AL is a member of the Capital and Coast and Hutt Valley Clinical Ethics Committee and a member of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Ethics Committee. RC is a member of Professional Association of Transgender Health Aotearoa Executive Committee. CL is a board member for the Clinical Ethics Society of Australasia.

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