The United Kingdom will no longer "routinely" give puberty blockers to children under a decision by the nation's National Health Services that will limit such drugs to minors within clinical trials.
The decision could have implications around the world, including in the United States. NHS' goal is to study the long-term impacts of the drugs on children who identify as transgender.
"The NHS is now engaging on the proposal that puberty blockers will not be made routinely available outside of research," the NHS said in a statement, according to the BBC. "We will develop a study into the impact of puberty blockers on gender dysphoria in children and young people with early-onset gender dysphoria."
The NHS said there is "not enough evidence to support their safety or clinical effectiveness as a routinely available treatment."
Parents will be "strongly discouraged" from obtaining such drugs through unregulated sources outside the NHS.
The NHS will take a "holistic" approach in studying the issue and examine the individual needs of each child, the BBC said.
The decision by the National Health Services comes after a controversy over the long-term physical and psychological impact of puberty blockers on children.
Psychiatrist David Bell, who previously worked for an NHS clinic, Tavistock, applauded the decision.
"All the evidence shows that puberty blockers don't help, and there is clear evidence of physical and psychological harm caused by them, so this change is in line with the evidence we have," Bell told The Telegraph newspaper. "A very large percentage of children being treated for gender dysphoria have other problems such as autism and depression, and many are upset or confused about their sexuality."
James Esses, co-founder of Thoughtful Therapists, said the decision by the NHS is monumental.
"The fact that the NHS is holding firm on their intention to prevent the use of puberty blockers outside of the context of clinical trials is seismic," Esses told The Telegraph. "This will hopefully bring an end to vulnerable children being placed down a pathway to irreversible harm."
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
