Wes Streeting sparks fury after defending ban on puberty blockers for trans kids
Health secretary Wes Streeting has sparked more anger by defending his decision to make the ban on private puberty blockers for trans youth permanent.
Having previously said he regrets making the statement that “trans women are women“, Wes Streeting indicated before the weekend that the government will extend the Tories’ controversial emergency ban on puberty blockers for trans youth – a move which was later confirmed.
The ban on private prescriptions for puberty blockers was implemented by the ousted Conservative government in May, a move that followed the publication of the Cass Report in April, which advised scrutiny of the medication.
Puberty blockers are a medication primarily used by those under the age of 18 to halt unwanted elements of physical puberty.
On Sunday (14 July), Streeting took to social media to explain Labour’s decision and appeared to call out LGBTQ+ organisations and activists who have criticised the ban.
“Children’s healthcare must always be led by evidence,” the Ilford North MP wrote in a long thread on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Medicine given to children must always be proven safe and effective first. I know there’s lots of fear and anxiety, let me explain why this decision was taken.
“[The] Cass Review found there is not enough evidence about the long-term impact of puberty blockers for gender incongruence to know whether they are safe or not, nor which children might benefit from them. The evidence should have been established before they were ever prescribed.
“The NHS took the decision to stop the routine use of puberty blockers for gender incongruence/dysphoria in children. They are establishing a clinical trial with NIHR [the National Institute for Health and Care Research] to ensure the effects of puberty blockers can be safely monitored and provide the evidence we need.”
He continued: “The former health secretary issued an emergency order to extend the restriction on prescription to the private sector, which I am defending. Puberty blockers have been used to delay puberty in children and young people who start puberty much too early. Use in those cases has been extensively tested (a very different indication from use in gender dysphoria) and has met strict safety requirements.
“This is because the puberty blockers are suppressing hormone levels that are abnormally high for the age of the child. This is different to stopping the normal surge of hormones that occur in puberty. This affects children’s psychological and brain development.
“We don’t yet know the risks of stopping pubertal hormones at this critical life stage. That is the basis upon which I am making decisions. I am treading cautiously in this area because the safety of children must come first.”
Some public statements being made about the ban are “highly irresponsible and could put vulnerable young people at risk”, he claimed.
He went on to insist: “I am determined to improve the quality of, and access to, care for trans people.
“I hope this thread provides some context for the caution and care I am taking when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people. The decisions I am taking will always be based on evidence, rather than politics or political pressure.”
The comment about “highly irresponsible” statements appears to be aimed at LGBTQ+ activists and organisations which have already criticised the decision to block access to puberty blockers.
Jolyon Maugham, a barrister and director of the Good Law Project, previously claimed that the measures will “kill trans children”, and the former chief executive of trans charity Mermaids, Susie Green, said the new health secretary could have “blood on his hands”.
Streeting is facing a new backlash in the wake of his latest statement.
Nancy Kelley, the former chief executive of Stonewall, wrote: “The ‘risk’ that stalks the debate about [puberty blockers], from Cass to this thread is the ‘risk’ a trans child will grow up to be a trans adult. If you believe (as I do) that being trans is a naturally occurring part of human diversity, the picture looks very different.”
Trans activist Katy Montgomerie bluntly labelled the ban “bulls**t”, adding: “There is no evidence to support a ban. None.
“The UK government overruling the experts, putting it out of line with every other developed country, when we know for a fact it will harm children, is disgusting. @wesstreeting should resign. Absolute failure.”
And the deputy leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, Zack Polanski, asked why a politician was “over-riding trained professionals’ judgment”, adding: “Why are these assessments not being made by those who are medically trained, who can take into full account the person in front of them? And why no recognition about suicide risk in young trans people?”
The decision has also been met with anger within the Labour Party. Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana wrote on X/Twitter: “Labour’s manifesto promised to ‘remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance.’ That entails ending the Tories’ ban on puberty blockers.
“Young people – cis and trans – must have access to healthcare they need. I’ll always stand with the trans community.”
Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, said the Cass Review “recommended caution, not exclusion, for any treatment and drew attention to shortcomings of previous GIDs [gender-identity disorders] service”.
She went on to say: “To those asking, [I] will always be [an] MP who listens to demand for better research and evidence base [to] help those with gender dysphoria, not abandons them.”
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