Guidelines in Norway regarding so-called “gender -affirming care” for minors is to be revised because it is no longer considered to be evidence-based. The ‘care’ can involve puberty blockers, sex hormones and even operations to remove sexual organs.

The Norwegian Healthcare Investigation Board announced last week that it would be change the current guidelines.

The board also acknowledged that the growing number of teenage girls identifying as male, post-puberty, remains under-studied.

Under the proposed updated guidelines, the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgery would be restricted to research contexts and no longer provided in clinical settings.

Norway joins Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom in introducing greater safeguarding for children. In the United States, eight states thus far have banned so-called ‘affirmative care’ for individuals under 18, with Tennessee being the latest to pass such legislation.