On 18 March, Women Speak Tasmania met with Health Minister Jacquie Petrusma to raise serious concerns about the Tasmanian Gender Service (TGS). Following that meeting, we wrote to the Minister to confirm our questions and seek clarity on several key issues surrounding the treatment of children and young people with gender dysphoria.
Our Questions
We asked the Minister:
- Consent Documents – Has the Minister read the informed consent documents provided to TGS clients? Are they under review, and can copies be made available?
- Use of Puberty Blockers – Does the TGS have Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) exemptions to import and use Leuprorelin Acetate off-label for children? Could we be provided with documentation of this approval?
- Guidelines and Precautionary Measures – With Queensland and the Federal Government reviewing gender-affirming care and restricting new prescriptions of puberty blockers, will Tasmania adopt the National Association of Practising Psychiatry Guidelines as a precaution?
- Cass Review Findings – Has the TGS undertaken its own evaluation of the Cass Review, which raised serious concerns about existing clinical guidelines? For reference, the Cass Review rated the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne Guidelines at 19/100 for rigour and 14/100 for editorial independence, while the WPATH Guidelines scored 35/100 and 39/100 respectively.
The Minister’s Response
Minister Petrusma replied, assuring us that:
- All TGS referrals must come from a medical practitioner, usually a GP or paediatrician.
- Treatment decisions involve a multidisciplinary team of health professionals, including psychologists, psychiatrists, paediatricians, and fertility specialists.
- Consent documents are part of Tasmanian Health Service (THS) standard practice and are currently under review. Copies may be available in future through the Right to Information process.
- The use of medications such as Leuprorelin Acetate occurs within “current clinical and legal frameworks.”
- Tasmania will closely monitor the forthcoming Australian Government review of the Australian Standards of Care for gender-affirming treatment.
Why This Matters
Despite the Minister’s reassurances, several concerns remain unresolved:
- Transparency: The fact that consent documents are not immediately available raises questions about how well-informed parents and young people truly are.
- Drug Safety: Leuprorelin Acetate remains banned for new prescriptions in Queensland, yet is reportedly still being used in Tasmania for vulnerable children.
- Evidence Base: Both the RCH Melbourne and WPATH guidelines, which underpin TGS practices, were rated poorly by the Cass Review for scientific rigour and independence.
Women Speak Tasmania maintains that Tasmania must prioritise evidence-based, precautionary healthcare. Children and adolescents deserve safeguards, transparency, and medical practices grounded in robust scientific review—not ideology.
