“Children Can’t Consent”: Protesters Call for End to Puberty Blocker Trial

Protesters gathered on Wednesday outside the Department of Health and Social Care in London, urging Health Secretary Wes Streeting to halt an NHS-backed clinical trial that would give puberty-blocking drugs to children.

Demonstrators from groups including LGB Alliance and Christian Concern accused the government of pressing ahead with what they described as medical experimentation on vulnerable minors, despite puberty blockers having been banned for routine use following concerns over safety and evidence. The trial, known as Pathways, is due to begin in the new year and could involve more than 200 under-16s, some as young as 10.

Baroness Claire Fox, a member of the House of Lords, was among the speakers at the protest, which brought together gender-critical gay rights activists and evangelical Christians in opposition to the trial.

A small but loud counter-protest by trans rights activists took place on the opposite side of the road but failed to drown out the main protest. Passing vehicles sounded their horns in support of the anti-trial protesters, prompting cheers from the crowd.

Protesters argued that healthy children cannot become healthy adults without going through puberty, warning that suppressing normal physical development risks long-term harm. They said the children most likely to be affected are among the most vulnerable, including those diagnosed with autism, children in care, and lesbian and gay teenagers, as well as girls anxious about womanhood.

Opponents also questioned why puberty-blocking drugs, which were banned in 2024 after being deemed an “unacceptable safety risk,” are now considered acceptable within a government-funded clinical trial. They said taxpayers’ money should not be used for what they called a high-risk experiment and urged MPs to intervene to stop it.

The protest came as Streeting admitted in Parliament that children cannot consent to taking part in the trial. Speaking to MPs earlier on Wednesday, he said participants would instead be required to give “informed assent,” with formal consent provided by parents or guardians. He told the Commons health select committee that approving the trial was a decision he “wrestles with every day” and reiterated that he was “not comfortable” with it.

Streeting also confirmed that puberty blockers had been permanently banned outside the trial, following the 2024 Cass Review, which found the evidence supporting their use to be “remarkably weak” and criticised past clinical practice. The review nonetheless recommended controlled research to establish clearer evidence.

The Pathways study, led by King’s College London, has triggered a growing political and legal backlash. MPs and peers from across parties are preparing to submit a letter condemning the trial as unethical, while campaigners have launched legal action against regulators who approved it.

The Department of Health has said the trial has full ethical and regulatory approval and includes safeguards such as clinical review and parental consent. Critics argue that Streeting’s own admissions about consent and discomfort underscore why the trial should be halted.