Puberty Blockers

Puberty blockers, usually GnRH agonists, are medications that temporarily pause the hormone-driven changes of puberty. They have been used for decades as the standard treatment for precocious (early) puberty in children of all backgrounds. For transgender and gender-diverse youth who have started puberty, blockers can delay unwanted physical changes, ease distress, and create time to explore gender identity before making decisions about any further care. Major medical bodies including the Endocrine Society and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health support their use, and clinicians describe the pause as reversible if the medication is stopped. In practice they are rarely prescribed to U.S. adolescents, and several states have moved to restrict access despite this evidence base.