The ban on puberty blockers undermines the well-being, safety and mental health of trans youth

11 December 2024, 19:01

When trans young people try to access care, they deserve to be listened to and respected.

They should be supported by knowledgeable and well-trained professionals, to access appropriate medical treatments in a timely manner.

And right now, that simply isn’t what’s happening for trans children and young people across the UK. Today’s decision to continue criminalising access to puberty blockers outside the NHS will not make things better.

We continue to be in an emergency for the well-being and mental health of trans youth. Some have been on NHS waiting lists for more than 6 years without an appointment with limited mental health care in the meantime. This means that many young people and their families seek private care as a last resort, which has today been further limited.

The start of the long overdue research trial into puberty blockers, which would allow access for a limited group of trans youth to gender-affirming care, is still months away. The Council of Europe, which upholds human rights across the continent, raised concerns that this format of the trial may ‘violate the fundamental ethical principles governing research.’

Puberty Blockers, sometimes called puberty-suppressing hormones are medications which delay the progress of puberty and the associated bodily changes which can cause discomfort or distress.

They have been prescribed for children who start puberty too early, for intersex young people and for trans and gender-diverse children and young people for many years.

This ban, and the absence of timely, holistic and supportive care which recognises and supports trans young people’s experiences, undermines the wellbeing, safety and mental health of a group of young people regularly belittled and demonised by politicians both in the UK and overseas.

Despite these bans, the trans community and our allies won’t stop demanding a better future for trans youth.

The resilience, self-knowledge and appetite for change we see from the trans young people we support at Mermaids gives us hope that brighter days are to come - trans and gender non-conforming youth have always existed and found ways to thrive into adulthood.

We will continue to advocate for better care, for justice and for a society where every trans child or young person is empowered to live their best lives.

Tammy Hymas is the Head of Communications and Advocacy at Mermaids.

Mermaids has been supporting trans, non-binary and gender-questioning children and young people and the important people in their lives since 1995.

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