Take Action: Tell Your MP to Help Lift the Puberty Blocker Ban
As the 26th of November approaches, we are at a critical moment for the future of trans+ youth access to healthcare in the UK. The temporary ban on puberty blockers is set to expire, but all evidence points to it being made permanent. We need your help to highlight the injustice of this action and to hold Wes Streeting to account.
Why This Matters
Puberty blockers are a crucial form of gender-affirming care for transgender and non-binary young people. They give trans+ youth the time and space they need to explore their identity without the distress of going through the wrong puberty. But since the ban, the mental health of trans children has sharply declined. New research, Children of Omelas by Dr Natacha Kennedy, reveals heart-breaking findings about the real-world impact of this ban:
Increased rates of depression and anxiety among trans+ youth who no longer have access to puberty blockers.
Sharp rises in self-harm and suicidal ideation in transgender and non-binary young people who feel trapped in a body that doesn’t align with their gender identity.
Parents report that the ban has led to devastating mental health outcomes, with some children losing hope for the future entirely.
“The damage done to my child’s mental wellbeing through this ban far outweighs the medical considerations/implications that would have come in tandem with my child being able to proceed with taking the blockers […] We are all just trying to do the best for our children and are being denied this opportunity for political reasons, which are masked behind biassed studies.”
Adding to these findings, recent research from The Trevor Project in the USA shows a 72% increase in suicide attempts among transgender youth in states where anti-trans laws have been passed. The CDC’s Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Transgender and Cisgender High School Students Survey, 2023 report further underscores this, with over 50% of trans and non-binary youth considering suicide due to minority stress and discrimination. We cannot allow the UK’s policies to follow this dangerous trend.
What You Can Do
We urgently need to hold Wes Streeting to account for the damaging impact that extending the Puberty Blocker Ban will have on trans kids. Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has the power to let the current temporary ban expire on 26th November. We believe he has already made up his mind to make this damaging piece of legislation permanent. We are asking you to email your MP today and urge them to write to Wes Streeting, requesting that he lets the ban expire and not make it permanent. We need to hold him to account for the anticipated devastating actions that will almost definitely arise from extending the Puberty Blocker Ban.
How to Take Action
Write a short, respectful email to your MP
Ask them to contact Wes Streeting and request that the puberty blocker ban not be made permanent and to highlight the devastating impacts if it is. You can find your MP and their contact details here. Copy and paste our template letter below, and customise it with your own thoughts and experiences.
Refer to the evidence
Attach the Children of Omelas research the US Trevor Project Research and CDC study to your email, showing the increased suicide risk for trans and non-binary young people when trans+ youth are used as political pawns. Download the PDF by clicking on the links above.
Stress the urgency
This decision will be made by 26th November 2024, so people need to take action NOW if we are going to hold Wes Streeting to account and protect trans kids!
Resources
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Dear [MP's Name],
Subject: Urgent Request to Oppose the Continuation of the Puberty Blocker Ban
I am writing to you as a [state your position here - ie: parent of a trans child / family member of a trans person / friend of the trans community]. I urgently ask for your support in writing to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, requesting that he allows the current temporary ban on puberty blockers to expire on 26th November 2024, rather than making it permanent.
This ban is causing severe harm to trans+ youth across the UK.
[Add personal context here to describe how it is impacting you personally and/or family / friends]
I have attached three important research papers that demonstrate the devastating impacts this ban is having on the mental health and well-being of transgender and non-binary children.
Key Findings from the Research:
1. Mental Health Deterioration Due to the Puberty Blocker Ban:
The "Children of Omelas" research by Dr. Natacha Kennedy (https://www.academia.edu/124722434/Children_of_Omelas_Effects_of_the_UK_Puberty_Blocker_Ban) reveals that the ban on puberty blockers has caused a drastic decline in the mental health of transgender youth. Children who were previously thriving are now experiencing significant increases in depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Parents report that their children feel hopeless and isolated as they are forced to go through unwanted puberty changes that conflict with their gender identity.
This research clearly shows that denying access to puberty blockers is not just a medical issue but a life-threatening one for many trans+ youth. The study provides evidence that children who had access to puberty blockers before the ban were able to navigate their gender identity with a sense of safety and well-being, which has now been lost.
One parent shared in the study:
"My daughter’s mental and emotional health has rapidly declined since the ban was enforced. So much so, that I haven't dared tell her about the heart-breaking decision to extend the ban for fear of how much more she may spiral downwards."
Another parent highlighted the clear ethical implications of the ban:
"The damage done to my child’s mental wellbeing through this ban far outweighs the medical considerations/implications that would have come in tandem with my child being able to proceed with taking the blockers […] We are all just trying to do the best for our children and are being denied this opportunity for political reasons, which are masked behind biassed studies."
Supportive parents of trans+ youth are currently being demonised and criminalised:
It was devastating to finally receive a prescription and then be told that within 48 hours we would no longer be able to access the treatment which professionals had told us would really help our child. A local pharmacist tried to prevent us having our prescription before the ban was in place and I had to stand my ground and insist on having the prescribed medication. I was made to feel like a bad parent which was awful. I am genuinely scared that my child will continue to self-harm or worse if the ban is not reversed."
These quotes reflect the profound emotional and psychological damage caused by the ban, which is negatively affecting the lives of countless families.
2. Suicide Risks Associated with Anti-Trans Policies:Research from the USA, "State-Level Anti-Transgender Laws Increase Suicide Attempts among Transgender and Non-Binary Young People," demonstrates that anti-trans policies lead to significantly higher rates of suicide attempts among trans youth. The study found a 7–72% increase in suicide attempts among transgender minors following the enactment of anti-transgender laws in various states.
Although this research focuses on the USA, it highlights a critical point: policies that restrict access to gender-affirming care, like the puberty blocker ban in the UK, exacerbate mental health crises and increase suicide risks among trans+ youth.
Findings from the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US published data in October 2024 showing that LGBTQ+ youth are at significantly higher risk for mental health issues, including suicidal ideation and attempts, due to minority stress and discrimination. This study reinforces the argument that denying transgender youth access to gender-affirming care, such as puberty blockers, only exacerbates these risks. According to the CDC, over 40% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide in 2023 (www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/73/su/su7304a6.htm). These findings underscore the critical need to reverse harmful policies like the puberty blocker ban and protect the mental health of trans youth.
3. Request for Action
I ask you to write to Wes Streeting and urge him to allow the temporary puberty blocker ban to expire in November. This will enable trans youth to access the care they need without further delay. The evidence is clear: continuing the ban will cause ongoing, deadly, preventable harm to children. We must prioritise the mental health and physical well-being of trans youth by restoring access to puberty blockers.
I would be grateful if you could confirm your action on this matter and would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further.
Thank you for your time and commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]Attachments:
Children of Omelas: Effects of the UK Puberty Blocker Ban, Dr. Natacha Kennedy
State-Level Anti-Transgender Laws Increase Suicide Attempts among Transgender and Non-Binary Young People in the USA, The Trevor Project
The CDC Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Transgender and Cisgender High School Students Survey, 2023
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