England's NHS will not give puberty blockers to transgender children

June 11 (UPI) -- England's National Health Services announced Friday that it will not give puberty blockers to children at gender clinics because of "significant uncertainties" surrounding such hormone treatments.

"Outside of a research setting, puberty-suppressing hormones should not be routinely commissioned for children and adolescents who have gender incongruence/dysphoria," NHS England said in a statement.

Gender dysphoria, as defined by Britain's NHS, refers to "a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity" -- more commonly referred to as being transgender.

The decision came after NHS England sought public feedback on setting interim service specifications, which will undergo further review, for four new regional clinics expected to open later this year that will provide care to transgender children and their families.

"The primary intervention for children and young people who are assessed as suitable for the service is psychosocial (including psychoeducation) and psychological support and intervention," the service specifications read.

"The main objective is to alleviate distress associated with gender incongruence and promote the individual's global functioning and wellbeing."

NHS England has also established a new national Children and Young People's Gender Dysphoria Research Oversight Board that has approved a study into the effect of puberty blockers on transgender children.

The new measures come after findings from pediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass said there were "gaps in the evidence base" about the effects of puberty blockers.

"Children, young people and their families are strongly discouraged from sourcing puberty-suppressing or gender-affirming hormones from unregulated sources or from online providers that are not regulated by UK regulatory bodies," NHS England advised.

However, NHS England care providers may consider continuing puberty-suppressing hormones or masculinizing and feminizing hormones if a patient has already been prescribed them outside of the NHS system.