New Zealand Halts New Puberty Blocker Prescriptions for Gender Dysphoria

Access to the drugs will be withheld until the conclusion of a UK clinical trial, expected in 2031.
New Zealand Halts New Puberty Blocker Prescriptions for Gender Dysphoria
Minister Simeon Brown looks on at Parliament on Jan. 28, 2025 in Wellington, New Zealand. Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
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New Zealand has announced a ban on new prescriptions of puberty-blocking medication for young people with gender dysphoria, aligning the country with similar policy shifts in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, and Norway.

The drugs—gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues—will remain available to those needing to take them for conditions with established clinical evidence, including early-onset puberty, endometriosis, or prostate cancer.

Rex Widerstrom
Rex Widerstrom
Author
Rex Widerstrom is a New Zealand-based reporter with over 40 years of experience in media, including radio and print. He is currently a presenter for Hutt Radio.