UK Kids Starving Themselves After Ban on Puberty Blockers

Kids in the U.K. are resorting to starving themselves to lessen the effects of puberty in response to the indefinite ban placed on puberty blockers. The Department of Health and Social Care led by Wes Streeting announced last year that puberty blockers would be banned indefinitely for those under 18 because of the “unacceptable safety risk.” A U.K. general practitioner (GP) who remains anonymous has reported that minors in the South Wales region are taking extreme measures to force the stop of puberty since they have no access to the proper healthcare. The GP claims that the kids are “buying online homemade drugs or deliberately becoming anorexic” to stop puberty. She also said that the youth experiencing gender dysphoria have been dropping out of school and often feeling suicidal. But at least the “safety risks” have been avoided, right? The ban on prescription puberty blockers came after an independent service review called The Cass Review came out in April of 2024 and advised healthcare officials against their use. The ban was extended indefinitely in December of 2024. The anonymous GP has explained that the effects of puberty blockers can be reversed if need be, but that mental damage suffered by these youths as young as eight is severely impacting them. She claims that it is a gambling game when going to find a general practitioner because, “you may get a decent GP or you may get a GP who makes a safeguarding referral to social service who will investigate you for child neglect.” The waitlists for care are also so long that 11-, 12-, and 13-year-olds would most likely be waiting until they turned 18 anyway, according to her. Gender-affirming care like administering puberty blockers is absolutely necessary healthcare. Protecting the well-being of children should be a priority for healthcare officials. But similar to the United States’ current administration, Streeting claims to care for the safety of the youth then actively attacks them and allows others to criticize and endanger their way of life.