Hundreds of people marched to protest against moves that could change how puberty blockers are prescribed in gender affirming care. Photo: RNZ / Nate Mckinnon
Correction: This story has been updated, and corrected to show diversity of views of clinicians, an earlier version of this story in error also included a mislabeled photo of a previous march.
Hundreds of people are marching on Parliament to protest against moves that could change how puberty blockers are prescribed in gender affirming care.
Last year, the coalition government asked the health ministry to review how that is currently handled, prompting officials to call for a more cautious approach.
New regulatory measures could include restricting the prescribing of puberty blockers in the context of gender affirming care but not its use in other contexts, the ministry said.
Queer Endurance in Defiance spokesperson Wyatt Dawson said the transgender community and its allies were worried any changes would mean trans children lose access to drugs that stall unwanted physical changes.
Puberty blockers should be available "on demand", they said.
The health ministry opened public submissions last year, asking if further precautions or restrictions were needed, and what impacts that could have on young people.
Half a dozen speakers from the queer community and its allies, including current and former Green Party MPs Benjamin Doyle and Elizabeth Kerekere respectively, addressed the hundreds-strong crowd gathered at Parliament steps.
Kerekere, also the founder of the queer advocacy group Tīwhanawhana Trust, said access to puberty blockers was unequal, with young people who were not trans able to use drugs to stall the early onset of development.
"But if you say you are trans then you are likely to not be able to access (them)."
She said wanting puberty blockers "on demand" still meant going through the correct process.
"For a child, for a young person, I hope that's done with [the] support of their whānau, that they've talked about what that means for them and they've got the people around them to make sure that the right decisions are being made."
She cited the speakers at Sunday's protest who talked about how long access to puberty blockers could take, with some waiting up to two years.
"On-demand, I would still interpret as when they need them."
The Green Party has denounced the signalled change in approach.
MP Benajmin Doyle added their voice to hundreds of protesters at Parliament grounds today condeming the review.
They said the rights of trans and non-binary people should not be up for debate.
"How dare they call for public consultation on whether we deserve to have life-saving treatment.
"How dare they attempt to deny children healthcare ... access to healthcare is a human right."
Doyle said the party was calling on the government to increase funding and access to puberty blockers for young trans people.
Results to come on consultation
The ministry said it had received submissions from members of the public, including gender-diverse young people and their families as part of the consultation process.
Also consulted were key stakeholders, including representatives of medical practitioners, health services, and health regulators.
Submissions closed on 20 January, but nothing has yet been publicly released.
The consultation followed the ministry last year urging "a more precautionary approach" for the care of adolescents with gender identity issues - while still allowing access to treatment for those who need it - and the publication of its evidence brief on using puberty blockers to treat gender dysphoria.
It found the evidence supporting the benefits and risks of using puberty blockers in gender-affirming care was limited and more research on the long-term impacts was needed.
It advised that prescribing drugs for children with gender dysphoria should be limited to experienced clinicians only, who were part of a wider multi-disciplinary team including psychological and mental health support.
Some clinicians say the Ministry's guidelines are reasonable and balanced.
But the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa is critical of the consultation process, saying it appears to be politically motivated rather than concerned with health.
In its submission, it said the process of prescribing or initiating puberty blockers did not require restrictions, "given that they are currently prescribed in line with best practice".
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