The NSW government says it is monitoring "developments" after England's health service said there was "not enough evidence" to support the use of puberty blockers as a routine treatment for children and young people with gender dysphoria.
The blockers are provided in Newcastle through Maple Leaf House, one of two specialist hubs providing trans and gender diverse health services in NSW.
England's National Health Service [NHS] last week revealed it would no longer prescribe puberty blockers to children and young people with gender dysphoria as a routine treatment.
An NHS England statement said there was "not enough evidence to support the safety or clinical effectiveness of puberty-suppressing hormones".
NSW Health said it was "committed to providing evidence-based, holistic, age appropriate and developmentally informed care for trans and gender diverse young people".
"Trans and gender diverse healthcare is a complex and evolving practice area," a spokesperson said.
"NSW Health continues to monitor developments in evidence to ensure the care we provide remains consistent with national and international best practice."
NHS England's new policy stated that children with gender dysphoria "may or may not continue to experience the conflict between their physical gender and the one with which they identify into adolescence and adulthood".
An NHS review found "no statistically significant difference in gender dysphoria, mental health and body image" in children and adolescents treated with puberty blockers.
It said there was "limited short-term and long-term safety data" for puberty blockers.
However, the policy added that they "may reduce the expected increase in lumbar or femoral bone density during puberty".
Equality Australia CEO Anna Brown said the NHS decision "does not reflect the widely held consensus of medical organisations outside the UK".
"For trans youth, this medication alleviates acute distress around the onset of puberty and gives them more time to consider their options," Ms Brown said.
She said Australia had a "different service model to the one in the UK".
"Puberty blockers are used in some but not all cases and are generally limited to hospital settings."
Data obtained under Freedom of Information by Upper House Labor MP Greg Donnelly found 487 children and adolescents were treated by Maple Leaf House from April 2021 - when it opened - to September 2022.
It found 95 children were on "puberty blockers" through the clinic.
'Natural part of human diversity'
A Hunter New England Health fact sheet on "transgender health for adolescents" on the clinic's website states that "some people who are gender diverse need to change the way they look to reflect how they feel inside".
"This can help with gender dysphoria."
This condition was described as distress or unease about "the gender you were given" or feelings "that you can't express your true gender".
The fact sheet said "about 1 in 150 people are gender diverse".
"Being gender diverse is a natural part of human diversity."
The fact sheet lists treatment options as including "puberty blockers, hormones, surgery, changing your name, and tucking and binding".
The Australian Professional Association for Trans Health said "the aim of puberty suppressing hormone treatments is to temporarily halt pubertal development".
It said this allowed "more time for a young person to decide on the gender pathway that is right for them".
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