New Zealand health officials announced Wednesday that new prescriptions for puberty blockers will no longer be issued to children identifying as transgender.

Doctors will stop prescribing the gender-affirming medication — gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues — to minors starting Dec. 19, after the health ministry cited a lack of “high-quality evidence that demonstrates the benefits or risks,” Health Minister Simeon Brown said.

Existing patients can still access the medication for gender dysphoria or other conditions, such as early-onset puberty, endometriosis, and prostate cancer.

Officials said 113 people were using puberty blockers in 2023 — down from 140 in 2021.

Hormone blockers can pause puberty and are occasionally used to treat children with gender dysphoria.

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