Transsexuality
Transgender children Pixabay

The Queensland government has barred new transgender patients under the age of 18 from receiving hormone therapies within the state's public health system.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls, while making this announcement on Tuesday, cited a need for a review of whether stages one and two hormone therapies for children experiencing gender dysphoria are required at all, ABC reported.

Nicholls said that an external investigator will be roped in to assess the need for hormone therapies for minors, adding that future steps will be taken based on the report, while making sure the evaluation metrics were unbiased and aligned with the best practices and evidence-based guidelines.

"The review will encourage the participation of clinicians and professionals with relevant expertise, as well as young people with lived experience and their families," he said. "A final written report is to be provided to government within 10 months of the reviewer being appointed."

Nicholls said there had been an "apparently unauthorised provision of paediatric gender services" within the Cairns Sexual Health Service.

Gender dysphoria is a condition in which the person is in distress regarding their assigned gender at birth and their true gender identity. The condition can be treated only after conducting hormone therapies such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. The hormone therapies are often also the precursor to the ultimate gender transition.

In recent years, there has been increased scrutiny over the practices adopted by publicly funded healthcare systems to treat transgender minors. The particular concerns that triggered the call for the review were the accessibility and administration of hormone therapies, adequacy of informed consent, and the potential long-term effects of these treatments.

Nicholls said that a broader review is underway.

"A binding health service directive will immediately pause the prescription of stage one and stage two hormone therapies to new patients in Queensland Health facilities," he said. "Patients who are already on a treatment plan with the Queensland Children's Gender Service will be exempt. I'm advised that medically that is the appropriate procedure to follow."

"The pause will remain in effect until such time as the government considers and acts on the outcomes of the broader review."

Speaking about the move, Nicholls mentioned claims that the Cairns Sexual Health Service provided "apparently unauthorised" gender services, which he said were currently being probed by the health department.

"The Cairns Sexual Health Service delivered an apparently unauthorised pediatric gender service without an agreed model of care to 42 pediatric gender service clients," he said, per Q News. "17 of [them] were prescribed stage one or stage two hormone therapy in a way that may not align with accepted Australian treatment guidelines."