Puberty blockers, also known as hormone blockers or puberty inhibitors, are medications used to postpone puberty in children. They are most commonly used to treat precocious puberty, a condition where puberty starts abnormally early. Puberty blockers work by blocking the hormones that lead to puberty-related changes in the body, such as testosterone and estrogen. The most commonly used puberty blockers are gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, which suppress the production of sex hormones.
Puberty blockers are also prescribed to young transgender people to temporarily halt the development of secondary sex characteristics. They allow patients more time to solidify their gender identity without developing secondary sex characteristics, and give transgender youth a smoother transition into their desired gender identity as an adult. Puberty blockers are like hitting a pause button, delaying changes that can affect gender expression. After a period of adjusting to puberty blockers, adolescents might work with their care team to add cross-hormone treatment to develop masculine or feminine secondary sex characteristics.
Puberty blockers are generally safe if used appropriately. They have been used on-label since the 1980s to treat precocious puberty in children and were approved for use in treating precocious puberty in children by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993. When deciding to get this treatment, it is important to discuss the available research with a care team to make an informed choice.
