The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) posted a statement to their website on August 12 that read they "noted a concern brought to the Board on the off-label use of drugs on children with gender dysphoria."
It continued: "The EXCO has issued an advisory to practitioners that the off-use label drugs needs to be done with care, consent and be based on scientific evidence. Practitioners are advised to adhere to the above-mentioned advisory."
The HPCSA then stated in early November that "it can be expected that a policy, guide or even a position statement will shortly follow to embellish on the [August 12] statement previously made."
They clarified to the health professional watchdog group First Do No Harm South Africa, which has brought attention to the lack of evidence surrounding sex changes for minors, that their warning was "meant as a holding measure whilst the [medical] board consults with practitioners who may be implicated in this practice. A definitive board position is yet to be developed and communicated to all interested parties.
Gender Clinic News reports that "puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, approved by regulators for other conditions, are prescribed off-label for gender-distressed minors, meaning without regulatory approval or clinical trials testifying to the safety and efficacy of that use" in many countries.
