Women’s Forum Australia, backed by 100 doctors, politicians, and legal and ethical experts, has intensified its call for a national pause on youth “gender-affirmation” treatments pending the outcome of an independent inquiry. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
A January 19 letter sent to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the matter and signed by 100 child psychiatrists, “detransitioners,” researchers and others outlined their concerns about the possibility of “irreversible harm” from treatments such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for children and teenagers.
The same concerns in the UK led to a ban on the use of puberty blockers outside of clinical trials, and restrictions or bans in other jurisdictions as well.
Women’s Forum Australia chief executive Rachael Wong says the call for an inquiry and a similar pause on medical gender transitions for Australian children and young people was not sufficiently answered by subsequent announcement of a federal Government review into youth gender treatment guidelines.
On January 31, Health Minister Mark Butler said he had asked the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to undertake a “comprehensive” review of the Australian standards of care and treatment guidelines for trans and gender diverse children and adolescents, and to develop new national guidelines.
Interim advice on the use of puberty blockers is due in mid-2026, he said.
“The review is a positive step forward given the previous unwillingness of the Minister to do anything on this issue,” Ms Wong said.
“If the NHMRC follows its own rigorous standards, we might actually see genuine improvement in care for gender distressed children and young people.
“However, the Government’s praise of the current flawed guidelines and confirmation that the review is being driven by activist groups like AusPATH, raise grave concerns about whether the review will be independent, which was a critical element of our request for an inquiry.”
The letter is now open for public signatories as Ms Wong says the federal government’s approach “only re-confirms the need for a truly independent national inquiry and a halt on all gender interventions until this is complete.”
FULL STORY
Youth gender review a “positive step” but public inquiry needed, says advocate (By Marilyn Rodrigues, The Catholic Weekly)
