NT government pulls funding for puberty blockers, gender-affirming hormones for children
Steve Edgington says the NT government's "public health focus will remain on adolescent mental health services". (ABC News: Dane Hirst)
In short:
Health Minister Steve Edgington has announced the Northern Territory government will no longer fund puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormone treatments for children.
He said the government's public health focus would instead "remain on adolescent mental health services".
What's next?
Mr Edgington says the policy will affect "a handful of young teenagers" who had been accessing the treatments through the NT's public health system.
Children in the Northern Territory will no longer have access to publicly funded puberty blockers or gender-affirming hormones after Health Minister Steve Edgington announced the government would follow Queensland's lead in suspending the treatments.
In a statement released on Sunday, Mr Edgington said that — along with Queensland — the NT's government's new policy was consistent with jurisdictions such as New Zealand and some European countries.
He said the changes would affect "a handful of young teenagers" who had been accessing the treatments through the NT's public health system.
"Territory kids deserve to grow up free from these dangerous, ideologically driven practices with irreversible consequences," he said.
"The Territory's public health focus will remain on adolescent mental health services."
The move follows pressure from the Australian Christian Lobby, which presented a petition to the government in October 2024, calling on it to "suspend all medical and surgical transitioning for children in the NT".
In a letter in response to the petition tabled in parliament in April, Mr Edgington said NT Health did not provide surgical treatments for young people with gender dysphoria.
"NT Health provides evidence based clinical and support services and care in line with the policy and the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents," he wrote at the time.
"NT Health provides a specialised adolescent gender clinic for young people up to 18 years of age."
Top End Pride committee member Bhushan Joshi was among those to sign the statement against suspending adolescent gender treatments. (ABC News: Lillian Rangiah)
In a joint statement in response to the 2024 petition, transgender advocates — including Top End Pride — said being trans or gender diverse "does not represent a mental health condition".
"There is powerful evidence that gender affirming support, including affirming medical care, when required, protects the mental and physical wellbeing of transgender, gender diverse, and non-binary individuals," they said.
"Political interventions directed towards hindering access to these essential services strip individuals of their basic human right to equitable health care."
Treatment 'saves lives'
Coconut Grove general practitioner Danielle Stewart — whose practice is home to the NT's first LGBTQIA+ medical service — said the decision contradicted advice from doctors, lawyers and human rights organisations.
"We know from the evidence that gender-affirming care saves children's lives," she said.
"What this means is that the prescribing of that medication will have to happen [outside NT Health] now, and the cost of that medication — $3,000 a year — will have to be covered by either the families or donations."
Danielle Stewart says families will now be on the hook for thousands of dollars a year in medical bills. (ABC Radio Darwin: Emilia Terzon)
Dr Stewart said while defunding puberty blockers would complicate Territorians' access to gender-affirming care, it would not stop practitioners from doing what they could to support gender-diverse youth.
"My main message is for transgender and gender-diverse kids in the Northern Territory — you are valued," she said.
"This is not a representation of what the whole Northern Territory community believes on this issue, and you will be OK.
"There are people on your side and we will work through this to make sure you get the care you need."
Australian Medical Association NT president John Zorbas described the announcement as "moral panic masquerading as public safety".
John Zorbas says gender-related conditions are some of the most difficult to treat in medicine. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)
"We are witnessing a dangerous precedent where this government wants to enter the examination room, invade your privacy, and tell you what you can and cannot do with your own health care," he said.
Dr Zorbas said puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones were the main treatment for central precocious puberty, a condition in which six to seven-year-olds go through puberty much earlier than normal.
He said the suggestion the treatments were unsafe was "a complete misrepresentation of the science".
"There is a theoretical, unproven risk that puberty blockers could potentially reduce long-term bone density," he said.
"Every decision carries risk and benefit and this is managed for each individual with doctors providing the best evidence to patients to inform the best decision for them and their individual circumstances."