Wednesday, 5 February 2025

 David LIMBRICK (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:23): (1372) My adjournment item is for the Minister for Health in the other place. Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones turn children into lifelong patients requiring medication costing over $1 million in their lifetime. They can cause infertility, changes to brain development, sexual dysfunction and brittle bones. Yet the most extensive review of scientific literature, the Cass review, found very poor evidence for the safety and efficacy of these treatments. Now routine use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for children has been stopped in many countries, and new treatments have also been stopped in Queensland. This follows reports that unauthorised paediatric gender services have been carried out in Cairns without the necessary consultation with patients or their parents. My request for action is for the minister to conduct an audit of consent procedures for gender treatments of children in Victoria.