UK court rules under-16s can get puberty blocking drugs

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Court of Appeal has ruled that doctors can prescribe puberty-blocking drugs to children under 16. That overturns a lower court’s decision that a judge’s approval should be needed because children considering gender reassignment are unlikely to be able to give informed consent to the treatment. The appeals court disagreed, ruling Friday that it was up to doctors to “exercise their judgment” about whether their patients can properly consent. The Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, which runs the U.K.’s main gender identity development service for children, welcomed the ruling. Keira Bell, who brought the original claim, said she would seek to appeal to the Supreme Court.