1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Good afternoon. The Ministry of Health has finally released its 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: research on puberty blockers for kids. The review reckons there 3 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: is a lack of evidence to show that these things 4 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: are effective or safe for young people. Diana Sophati is 5 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: the Director General of Health. Hey Diana, Hi, Heather, So 6 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: have you guys basically come to the same conclusion as 7 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: the Cash report in the UK that found there's not 8 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 1: enough evidence that these things are safe or clinically effective 9 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: for kids. 10 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 2: We've come to a very similar conclusion that the evidence 11 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 2: around puberty blockers is very poor, both on their potential 12 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 2: benefits and their potential risks. 13 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: So if we've come to the same conclusion, do you 14 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: expect the outcome to be the same, which is that 15 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 1: in the UK the government then moved to basically ban 16 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: the routine use. Is that basically what's going to happen here. 17 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 2: Look, all countries that have looked at this issue have 18 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 2: come to the same conclusion that the evidence is very poor, 19 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 2: and then the response to that has been quite different. 20 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 2: So in the UK and in some Scandinavian countries they've 21 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 2: moved to more or less ban the use of puberty blockers, 22 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 2: But in other countries like Australia and most of Canada, 23 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: they have the guidance and standards, but puberty blockers are 24 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 2: still available. So the way that countries are responding to 25 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 2: that varies. 26 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: Right, So which way are we going to go? 27 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 2: At the moment? What we've done is we have released 28 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 2: a position statement and what that does it ensures that 29 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 2: those medicines are used with appropriate caution, so only by 30 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 2: experienced clinicians and in the context of good wrap around 31 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 2: care for young people in their families. And then at 32 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 2: the same time, the government has asked us to go 33 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 2: out and consult on whether or not further restrictions would 34 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 2: be white in the New Zealand contract. 35 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 1: All right, So these clinicians with experience and gender affirming care, 36 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: how many of them have we got in the country. 37 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 2: I don't have a number specifically on that because they 38 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 2: come from various backgrounds. So they can be pediatricians for example, 39 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 2: they can be general practitioners with special interest in this area. 40 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 2: They can be psychologists or psychiatrist. 41 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: How do they self nominate and say, yep, I feel 42 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: like I can do it. I've got some gender affirming 43 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: care experience, I'll do it. 44 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. They have to be able to demonstrate that they 45 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 2: have experience and gender affirming care, and we do have 46 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 2: some a number of clinics with a lot of experience 47 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: in this area. So what the standards do is they 48 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 2: set that expectation on commissions, which is is what we 49 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 2: normally do in relation to clinical standards, so that we 50 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 2: can then hold them into account if they. 51 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: Do not say that, do they just go I think, 52 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: come up to it. I'm going to do it, or 53 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 1: do they have to come to you and say I 54 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: think I'm up to it and you go, yes, you're 55 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 1: allowed to do it. 56 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 2: It's like other areas of medicine. There's no specific, you know, 57 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 2: process to determine that. But what it does mean is 58 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 2: that they can be held to account by, for example, 59 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 2: the Medical Council, and if they are unable to demonstrate 60 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 2: that they do have a whole level of experience to 61 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 2: gender affirming care, that would be problematic for them. 62 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: Okay, so do you expect the number of puberty blockers 63 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: prescribed to drop off from now? 64 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, we're already seeing it happening. So actually, 65 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 2: the peak prescription for puby blockers were at was actually 66 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 2: around about sort of twenty twenty one, around about then 67 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 2: in the last couple of years we're already starting to 68 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 2: see a drop off and the rate of prescribing, so 69 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 2: I would expect that that trend is likely to continue, 70 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:30,320 Speaker 2: although of course we'll have to wait and see. 71 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: Hey, thank you very much, Diana, appreciate it. Diana Safacei, 72 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: who's the Director General of Health. For more from Heather 73 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. They'd be 74 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.