Gender Affirming Healthcare: A Decision for Clinicians, Patients and Whānau

Monday 1 December 2025

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), is concerned about the impact of the New Zealand Government’s recently announced ban on new prescribing of GnRH analogues (puberty blockers) for young people who are seeking gender affirming healthcare. Dr Emma Jackson, New Zealand Vice President says “This decision appears to be made based on ideology not evidence and could have a devastating impact on the wellbeing of vulnerable young people.”

Puberty blockers temporarily suppress the hormones that cause pubertal development, giving young people and their families time to make informed decisions about wellbeing, without the pressure of irreversible bodily changes. Under the changes announced puberty blockers will remain available for those who are already receiving them for gender affirming care and the changes do not impact prescribing of puberty blockers for children with early onset puberty. But those seeking care for gender dysphoria will no longer have access to puberty blockers.

In November 2024 the Ministry of Health released an evidence brief which identified some limitations in the quality of evidence regarding the risks and benefits of GnRH analogues. Dr Emma Jackson comments that “limitations in evidence quality are common across a number of areas of medicine, and don’t warrant a ban on access, especially when the consequences of a ban are significant.”

��TV responded to Ministry of Health consultation in December 2024 with a clear statement:

��TV supports the current practice of prescribing puberty blocker medication for gender affirming care of rangatahi/young people, and does not support any restrictions in prescribing, nor does RANZCOG see any need for “safeguarding” of prescribing.

��TV restates this position. Health care should be based on best available evidence and decisions should remain between clinicians, patients and their whānau. RANZCOG urges the Government to remove the ban on potentially lifesaving health care for young people requiring gender affirming healthcare.