20 Nov 2025

Government move to halt prescriptions for puberty blockers

From Checkpoint, 5:16 pm on 20 November 2025

A move to protect children or state sanctioned harm? The government's upcoming halt on new prescriptions for puberty blockers has provoked strong feelings on both sides of the debate: supporters say it will keep children safe, while critics warn it will cause "profound distress". The Health Minister Simeon Brown says the new settings will take effect in mid-December - and stay in place until the outcome of a major clinical trial in the United Kingdom, expected in 2031. Political reporter Lillian Hanly has more.