New Zealand Health Ministry Says No Quality Evidence Backing Puberty Blocker Use

The Health Ministry said current research around puberty blocker drugs was of “poor quality” and it will hold a public consultation on its continued use.

Male and female icons in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 28, 2024. Susan Mortimer/The Epoch Times

New Zealand’s Ministry of Health has released an evidence brief and position statement regarding the use of puberty blockers, advocating for a more cautious approach in their application.

The evidence brief says there is a lack of robust, high-quality data supporting the effectiveness and safety of puberty blockers.

The drugs are sometimes administered to children who identify as transgender, in order to halt the development as their biological sex.

The ministry’s assessment is that the starting point for treatment should be a holistic assessment of the full needs a young person, including their social and mental health.

As a consequence, clinicians are being urged to exercise caution in prescribing puberty blockers, and that they should only be prescribed by those who are experienced such treatments.

Medical practitioners are also urged to employ a full range of support to young people seeking medication.

The government is now further considering whether additional safeguards should be employed.

“These tighter controls reflect a level of concern both here and overseas about the increasing use of these medicines for the treatment of gender identity issues without sufficient evidence to support their safety and effectiveness both now and in the longer-term,” a statement said.

The ministry says that any additional safeguards in the form of regulations would protect against harm to “vulnerable” individuals.

The number of young people seeking treatment over gender identity issues has grown steadily in multiple countries.

According to the New Zealand government, around 25 people aged 11 to 17 sought puberty blockers in 2010. By 2021, that number had grown to 140, and was at 113 in 2023.

The ministry is set to undertake targeted consultations with groups representing parties affected by the advice, and will be open to public submissions.

The Impact of Taking Puberty Blockers

Key findings on the use of puberty blockers in young people have found evidence of its impact on bone health, height, and cardiometabolic health.

Some studies listed in the Impact of Puberty Blockers in Gender-Dysphoric Adolescents brief (pdf) showed a change in blood pressure, lipids, and the body composition in children given the medications.

No impacts were reported on renal or liver function, diabetes, or executive functions.

Reports also found that while improvements in depression and poor mental health were helped by puberty blockers, the quality of evidence was low and risk of bias high.

It concluded that available evidence of puberty blocker impacts on mental and physical health was “largely of poor quality.”

“Given the dearth and poor quality of evidence, and New Zealand-specific evidence, there is an urgent need for high-quality, longitudinal data and research to help us understand the specific needs of gender-dysphoric adolescents in New Zealand.”

Calls for Similar Steps in Australia

Rachael Wong from the Women’s Forum Australia welcomed the move from the coalition government.

“While they are yet to ban the use of puberty blockers like they have in done in the UK, the New Zealand government has now tasked the ministry with consulting on whether this more cautious approach should be backed by additional safeguards and are going to be undertaking a public consultation on the matter.

“While the response falls short on what is needed to protect children and young people from these incredibly harmful interventions, at least it’s a start which is a lot more than can be said for here in Australia,” she said.

Wong called on Australia’s leaders to also take a stand.

One Nation Leader Senator Pauline Hanson gave notice that she would–not for the first time–move an urgent Senate inquiry into Australia’s failure to adopt safeguards on the use of puberty blockers for gender dysphoric adolescents.

“The number of countries realising the harms these treatments are causing to children are growing, and Australia is becoming increasingly isolated in its refusal to even acknowledge these critical findings,” she said in a statement.

“New Zealand is the latest country to acknowledge the lack of evidence backing the effectiveness and safety of puberty blockers as a treatment for gender dysphoria and urge a more cautionary, holistic approach instead of the ideological ‘gender affirmation’ approach enthusiastically supported by the Albanese government.”

Hanson said from 2014 to 2021, the number of minors presenting to public gender clinics had increased into the thousands, with no data on private clinic numbers.

“If it were any other legitimate medical condition such a rapid increase would prompt action but because it’s all tied up with gender identity politics, Labor and the Greens will not act to protect Australian children and their families from this predatory ideology,” Hanson said.

“Puberty blockers have been shown to cause life-long harms, and there is no reliable evidence they are an effective solution. Any senator who refuses to support my motion for an inquiry next week will confirm they support harming Australian children instead of helping them.”