Doubts Over Review Of Trans Health Guidelines

The Federal Minister for Health has announced that Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is to review the self-styled Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents and to develop new national guidelines.

According to a statement released by the Minister,

“The NHMRC will develop the guidelines with an expert committee that includes lived experience and will be informed by public consultation, and international work.

Interim advice on the use of puberty blockers will be completed in the middle of 2026. More information will be available on the NHMRC’s website shortly.”

A review of the guidelines is long overdue, as they are unfit for purpose. However, there are reasons to be concerned about the integrity of the review and development process due to be undertaken by the NHMRC:

• In a statement, the Assistant Minister for Health revealed that AusPATH (who endorsed the guidelines) and Transcend (an advocacy group that has also endorsed the ‘affirmation’ model of care) contacted the Government to ask for the guidelines to be ‘updated’.

• The Assistant Minister for Health also referred to the current guidelines as “excellent”.

• There are concerns that the involvement of advocacy groups, particularly those central to creating and promoting current guidelines, will prejudice the outcomes of the review and development of new guidelines.