Exclusive: UUP says it will not support Northern Ireland children taking part in controversial UK puberty blocker trial
The Ulster Unionist Party says it will not support Northern Ireland’s participation in a controversial puberty blocker trial – despite it having been given the go-ahead by the High Court in England.
Jon Burrows’s party says that any change to the current pause on local children taking part would require the support of the Executive – but the UUP would oppose it.
In February, health minister Mike Nesbitt suspended Northern Ireland’s participation in a UK-wide trial – until a legal challenge to the scheme had concluded. That bid was thrown out by the High Court this week, meaning the Pathways trial can now proceed.
However, the UUP says it does not – and will not – support “the use of pharmaceutical puberty blockers for children experiencing gender-related distress outside a robust evidence base”.
A party spokesperson told the News Letter: “Our concern is straightforward. The evidence base for these drugs in children is weak, the potential long-term harms are not fully understood, and vulnerable young people should not be the means by which that uncertainty is resolved.
“Health Minister Mike Nesbitt acted decisively in 2024 to ensure that the prohibition on prescribing puberty blockers to under-18s applied in Northern Ireland, placing the safety and welfare of children at the centre of decision-making. Earlier this year, Northern Ireland became the first part of the United Kingdom to suspend participation in the proposed puberty blocker trial.
“We recognise that these are deeply sensitive and often distressing circumstances for young people and their families. They deserve compassion, dignity and timely access to high-quality psychological and therapeutic support. We believe that care should prioritise those services, while ensuring that decisions affecting children are guided by common sense, the best available clinical evidence and independent expert advice, with the welfare of the child remaining the overriding consideration.
“Any future proposal for Northern Ireland to participate in this clinical trial is not a matter for any one political party or Minister acting alone. It would require the agreement of the Northern Ireland Executive. If such a proposal is brought forward by another Minister or party, the Ulster Unionist Party's position will remain firmly unchanged in that we do not support participation in this trial.”
A Department of Health spokesperson said: “Northern Ireland's participation in the Pathways Trial remains suspended. The Minister has previously affirmed that he will consult with Executive colleagues before reconsidering participation in the trial and the welfare and wellbeing of young people remain his priority.”
Puberty blockers have been used to halt normal physical development in children questioning their sex. Despite the drugs having been used for years, no proper data has been collated about whether they are effective in dealing with gender dysphoria.
On Thursday, DUP health spokesperson Diane Dodds had called for “clarity and leadership” from Mike Nesbitt over the issue, after the trial got the go-ahead.
Opponents had sought to stop it on the grounds that there were insufficient safeguards in place and that the drugs could cause long term physical and psychological harm.
The judge, Mr Justice Chamberlain, said the trial had been designed with “conspicuous care” and that “each child will have been assessed over many months by specialist doctors”.
Puberty blockers have been used to halt normal physical development in children questioning their sex. Their use has been backed by Sinn Fein, Alliance and the SDLP in the past – and described as “gender affirming care”.
Despite the drugs having been used for years, no proper data has been collated about whether they are effective in dealing with gender dysphoria.
Mrs Dodds had said: “Puberty blockers were permanently banned outside these trials because of concerns about their impact on brain development, bone density, fertility and mental health. We should not be further experimenting on children and exposing them to this.
“It is right that any decision must be taken by the Executive, but such decisions are taken as a result of a paper submitted by a Minister. That paper will include a recommendation which is then discussed and voted upon by the Executive as a whole”.