New Zealand: New Zealand has announced a ban on new puberty blocker prescriptions for transgender adolescents, marking one of the country’s most significant shifts in youth gender-care policy.
The decision comes at a time when many nations are reassessing the use of these treatments for young people, with supporters and opponents sharply divided over safety, timing, and access.
Health Minister Simeon Brown said doctors will no longer be permitted to prescribe gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for gender dysphoria or gender incongruence in new cases. The measure takes effect on December 19 and follows a health ministry review that found insufficient high-quality evidence to clearly establish long-term benefits and risks.
The government stressed that the decision does not remove the medication from the health system entirely. Puberty blockers will remain available for conditions such as early onset puberty, endometriosis, and prostate cancer, and young people already receiving the treatment will be allowed to continue. Ministry data shows 113 people used puberty blockers in 2023, down from 140 two years earlier.
Cabinet has agreed to restrict the prescribing of puberty blockers for patients seeking treatment for gender dysphoria or incongruence.
Let me explain the approach Cabinet has taken. 🧵
— Simeon Brown (@SimeonBrownMP) November 19, 2025
The move aligns New Zealand with a growing number of countries adopting tighter rules. In Britain, regulators have already placed a temporary stop on supplying puberty blockers to new under-18 patients outside approved clinical studies.
Advocacy groups in New Zealand, however, warn that the ban will deepen distress for transgender youth who rely on the medication to delay physical changes they find traumatic. Elizabeth McElrea, vice president of the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa, said the decision could worsen mental-health outcomes and increase feelings of isolation among those affected.
Opposition leaders also criticised the policy, arguing that treatment decisions should stay between doctors, young people, and their families. Labour spokesperson Shanan Halbert urged the government to ensure that those losing access receive adequate support during the transition.
