UK bans puberty blockers for minors while their safety is under review

The United Kingdom indefinitely banned puberty blockers for children after warnings about an “unacceptable safety risk” on Wednesday. 

Wes Streeting, the U.K.’s secretary of state for Health and Social Care, announced the ban would affect everyone younger than 18.  

“We need to act with caution and care when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people, and follow the expert advice,” Streeting said. 

The declaration from the British government comes after the Commission on Human Medicines found there is “an unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to children.”