Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has rejected calls for a national inquiry into the treatment of trans and gender diverse children, acknowledging that it could further harm an already vulnerable group.
The senior government MP also wants young transgender people to have access to consistent standards of care regardless of where they live, paving the way for potential improvements to services around the country.
Federal Health Minister Greg HuntCredit: Alex Ellinghausen
“It is important we have a nationally consistent standard of care that is evidence-based and with appropriate safeguards to protect the interests of the patient,” Mr Hunt told The Sunday Age through his spokesman this week.
“In recognition of the risks of further harm to young people, the government does not intend to establish a national inquiry on this matter.”
The comments come after the Health Minister received high-level advice last month into the clinical treatment of children with gender dysphoria — the distress one feels when their biological sex doesn’t match their gender identity.
That advice, by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, was sought by the minister last year amid growing pressure from some doctors, Christian lobby groups and the Murdoch press, who were highly critical of the “gender-affirming” treatment that is often used to support young people who feel trapped in the wrong body.
Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital is home to Australia's largest gender clinic.Credit: Darrian Traynor
While some had called for a national probe, the RACP warned Mr Hunt that this “would not increase the scientific evidence available regarding gender dysphoria but would further harm vulnerable patients and their families through increased media and public attention”.
The college also endorsed the affirmation model, which is used at clinics such as Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital Gender Service, saying it "strongly supports expert clinical care that is non-judgmental, supportive and welcoming".
Asked about the government’s next steps, Mr Hunt’s spokesman said the government was now reviewing the college’s alternative recommendations, which include developing an Australia-wide framework for gender services and considering funding research on the long-term outcomes for young people with dysphoria.
“Individuals identifying as transgender and gender diverse often have unique healthcare needs and are at an increased risk of poor health outcomes and mental health issues," he said.
"Any next steps will be undertaken in partnership with relevant experts and taking into account the best available evidence.”
State Equality Minister Martin Foley next to Premier Daniel Andrews at the St Kilda Pride March.Credit: Meredith O'Shea
The comments were welcomed by the Andrews government in Victoria, with Equality Minister Martin Foley telling The Sunday Age: “Victoria has a world-leading gender clinic at the Royal Children’s Hospital and our team there would be well-placed to lead on developing national consistency.”
National consistency is important because funding and treatment for gender diverse children varies considerably between jurisdictions. For instance, Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney also has a gender clinic but it does not have the same breadth of services as Melbourne.
Options are also sorely lacking in most rural and regional areas around the country. As such, those who can afford it sometimes end up seeking help at the Royal Children's, where demand at the gender clinic has skyrocketed over the past decade, from six new referrals in 2009, to 336 last year.
However, the clinic, led by paediatrician Michelle Telfer, has come under increased scrutiny and attacks in recent months, largely over the gender-affirming treatment it provides.
This treatment can involve non-medical support, such as mental health services, or more controversial forms of treatment, such as puberty blockers or hormone therapy. Surgery is not permitted in Victoria for anyone under the age 18, and is an option that many transgender adults do not undertake due to the risks or costs involved.
Read an exclusive interview with Michelle Telfer in The Age on Sunday.