Prescriptions of puberty blockers for gender dysphoria began in 2011 in NZ and soared between 2014 and 2022, according to new analysis NZ’s total use of the drugs were far higher than the UK, Wales, Denmark and the Netherlands over the same period The Ministry of Health is reviewing the evidence base for puberty blockers, with new guidelines for doctors expected soon New Zealand is prescribing up to seven times more puberty blockers to young transgender patients than other similar countries, new analysis shows. Prescribing rates have fallen slightly in the last two years, possibly because of growing caution in some countries about possible long-term effects. But researchers said the use of the puberty-stalling hormones remained relatively high at a time when overseas jurisdictions were becoming increasingly restrictive about their use.
Puberty blockers can be prescribed to stall unwanted physical changes in young people with gender dysphoria - the psychological distress which arises from the feeling of being born in the wrong body or assigned the wrong gender. Advocates say this can provide time to explore gender identity and potentially improve mental wellbeing..