Australia’s previous chief medical officer for mental health has been enlisted by the Queensland government to oversee a review into the use of hormone drugs for children.
Professor Ruth Vine, who also previously served as Victoria’s chief psychiatrist, was announced as a “truly independent mind” to lead the review.
She will consider the use of Stage 1 and Stage 2 medications for children with gender dysphoria.
Stage 1 medications are better known as “puberty blockers,” prevent the onset of puberty in order to halt the development of the child’s biological sexual characteristics.
Stage 2 medications are hormone supplements, such as oestrogen or testosterone, taken to develop features of the opposite sex.
Across the state, more than 500 children are receiving gender therapy.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls praised the experience Professor Vine would bring to the review, which the Liberal National Party (LNP) launched in January.
“Professor Vine’s CV, in my view, will withstand the most scrutiny in terms of the ability she will bring to this review,” he said.
The review will examine the quality and outcomes of available medical and clinical evidence, as well as ethical considerations to inform government policy.
The review process will include the aggregation of feedback from clinicians, interviews and stakeholder submissions.
Puberty Blockers Receive Scrutiny
Queensland launched its review into the use of gender-altering medications after it became known that children as young as 12 were receiving puberty blockers, in some instances without parental knowledge.The federal Labor government announced its own review earlier in the year days after, yet Queensland Premier David Crisafulli says that will have no affect the state’s review.
Findings in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism from 2017 found young people who had received puberty blockers had a lower bone mineral density than children who were not on such medications.
The year before, the same journal found the use of puberty blockers could alter height. While that height could be regained by discontinuing the medications, the data showed overall adult height may still be affected.
UK Bans Puberty Blockers
A number of countries including France, Finland, Denmark and Sweden have all tightened legislation around hormone therapy to children.Shortly after being sworn in, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order restricting use for under 19 year olds.
The UK’s landmark Cass Review, led by paediatrician Hilary Cass, found was no good evidence that puberty blockers were safe.
“It is unusual for us to give a potentially life-changing treatment to young people and not know what happens to them in adulthood, and that’s been a particular problem that we haven’t had the follow-up into adulthood to know what the results of this are,” Cass told the UK’s BBC Radio last year.
After taking into account evidence, lived experience, professional input and international sources of information, the Cass Review made 32 recommendations, including limiting the use of puberty blockers and calling for better research into the consequences for young people using the drugs.
Following the review, the UK banned the sale and supply of puberty blockers via private prescriptions for anyone under 18, from March 2024.
The Commission on Human Medicines found an “unacceptable safety risk” for patients.
