Australia’s Northern Territory Health Minister Steve Edgington has announced a ban on public health access to puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones for trans youth under 18, citing concerns about child safety and international trends.
The decision aligns the Territory with Queensland, which recently extended its ban on gender-affirming care in the public health system until at least 2031, pending results of a UK clinical trial.
“The Northern Territory Government will cease public health access to puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones for children under the age of 18,” Edgington announced on Sunday.
“This position is consistent with approaches taken in other jurisdictions, including Queensland, New Zealand, and several European countries.”
Reversal of Earlier Position
The move is a sharp reversal from Edgington’s earlier comments this year.
In March, the Minister rejected a petition from the Australian Christian Lobby calling for a ban, stating that NT Health provides evidence-based care aligned with the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents.
“NT Health provides clinical and support services in line with national policy and evidence,” he said at the time, reassuring there were no planned changes.
The shift has raised concerns among health advocates, families, and LGBTQIA+ organisations, who had previously praised the Territory’s approach for supporting “lifesaving social, psychological, and medical care” for trans youth.
“Handful of Teenagers” Affected, Says Minister
Edgington claimed the ban would affect only “a handful of teenagers” and framed the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy as “ideologically driven practices with irreversible consequences.”
“Territory kids deserve to grow up free from these dangerous, ideologically driven practices,” he said.
“The Finocchiaro CLP Government will continue to put the safety and wellbeing of our children first.”
However, the Minister provided no timeline for how long the ban will remain in place. If it mirrors Queensland’s approach, the pause could last until 2031, when the UK’s PATHWAYS trial results are expected.
Queensland Ban to Remain Until 2031
On Friday, Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls announced that the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for trans minors would continue for at least six more years, despite backlash from LGBTQIA+ advocates, medical experts, and families.
“We believe it’s in the safety and interests of children that these drugs not be made available through the public system until there is better evidence available,” Nicholls said.
Queensland’s decision followed the 530-page Vine Review, which found the evidence base to be “limited” but was itself criticised by medical professionals and LGBTQIA+ groups as ideologically driven.
LGBTQIA+ Response
While the NT Government claims to be prioritising child safety, critics say the ban represents a political decision that undermines established medical guidelines and endangers trans youth.
In previous statements, Parents of Trans Kids NT and other advocacy groups have warned that restricting access to gender-affirming care will increase mental health risks, family distress, and inequality, forcing some families to seek private care at great cost — or not at all.
They argue that trans children are being unfairly targeted, while non-trans children can still access the same treatments (such as puberty blockers for early-onset puberty).
“This is not evidence-based policy. This is politics dressed up as concern,” one advocacy group member told local media.
