The Australian Government has requested the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) to undertake a comprehensive review of the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Trans and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents in Australia (first published in 2018), and to develop new national guidelines.
Development of the new guidelines is expected to take 3 years and interim advice on the use of puberty blockers will be available in the middle of 2026. This webpage will be updated as the project progresses.
It is estimated that 2–3% of young people identify as transgender, gender diverse or non-binary (trans). Both nationally and internationally there are increasing numbers of children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria/incongruence that are being referred to specialist gender services.
Aside from counselling, the medical treatments for transgender young people can include the use puberty blockers to stop physiological changes to the body. These injectable puberty blockers delay the onset or progression of puberty by suppressing production of oestrogen or testosterone. The use of puberty blockers is sometimes also referred to as a Stage 1 treatment.
Stage 2 medical treatments for transgender young people involve the use of cross-sex hormone treatment (oestrogen or testosterone) to feminise or masculinise the body. Stage 3 medical treatments are surgical interventions which are irreversible and not recommended for transgender young people under the age of 18.
Care for people under 18 with gender dysphoria usually occurs within the context of gender affirming care, a multidisciplinary approach involving a potential mix of psychosocial supports, community support, medical and surgical interventions. Many young people receiving this care do not access or require puberty suppression.
The guidelines often used in Australia (the Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines) are not NHMRC approved and were first published in 2018, drawing on evidence published before then.
NHMRC has a long history of developing guidelines related to health, and of supporting others to do so. NHMRC guidelines are intended to promote health, prevent harm, encourage best practice and reduce waste. They are developed by multidisciplinary committees that follow a rigorous evidence-based approach. NHMRC guidelines are based on a review of the available evidence, and follow transparent development and decision making processes. They are informed by the judgement of evidence by experts, and the views of consumers, community groups and other people affected by the guidelines.
As part of our leadership role in guidelines, NHMRC provides Standards for Guidelines which apply to all guidelines containing recommendations for clinical practice, public health and environmental health, and the Guidelines for Guidelines Handbook which contains practical and in depth information on how to develop guidelines that meet the NHMRC Standards.
How to get involved
NHMRC recognises the importance of stakeholder input into this project. The guidelines, once drafted, will be issued for public comment and consultation. Other opportunities for input are likely and will be communicated through this webpage and the contact list (see below).
Contact list
NHMRC has created a contact list to provide stakeholders with updates on this project. All interested stakeholders are invited to subscribe to the contact list via the form below. NHMRC will use this contact list during the project to communicate opportunities for stakeholder involvement.
