NHMRC recognises the importance of input from consumers and interest holders to ensure the guidelines are relevant and meaningful for trans and gender diverse young people seeking care, their families, and the clinicians who support them.

Public consultation

In accordance with Section 13 of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992 (NHMRC Act), the draft guidelines will undergo a public consultation for a minimum of 30 days. Public consultation is essential to ensuring guidelines are informed by the views of the target audience and wider community, and that the evidence review processes remain transparent and accountable.

There will be 2 public consultation periods. Interim advice for public consultation on the use of puberty suppression will be available in the middle of 2026. The full draft guidelines are expected to be available for consultation in 2027.

People are encouraged to participate in this process and provide feedback, which will be considered before the guidelines are finalised. Submissions received during public consultation will be published in full on the NHMRC website, with permission.

Project updates

We recognise that the guideline development process is lengthy, but this is essential to ensure a robust, evidence-based, and trustworthy final product. To keep interested parties informed, NHMRC will continue to publish updates on the progress of the guidelines and undertake public consultation.

NHMRC has created a contact list to provide stakeholders with updates on this project. All interested stakeholders are invited to subscribe to the contact list via the form on the Background webpage. NHMRC will use this contact list during the project to communicate opportunities for stakeholder involvement.

Frequently asked questions

General questions

Who is developing the guidelines for the care of trans and gender diverse people under 18 with gender dysphoria (Gender Guidelines)?

On 31 January 2025, the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon Mark Butler, requested NHMRC develop national clinical practice guidelines for the care of trans and gender diverse people under 18 with gender dysphoria. NHMRC is funded by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing to develop the guidelines in consultation with patients, health professionals and researchers.

What stage is the guideline development work up to?

NHMRC commenced work on the Gender Guidelines in February 2025. We are finalising the scoping and targeted engagement phase and have commenced the evidence review phase.

Between February 2025 and November 2025, NHMRC consulted widely to discuss the guideline and to shortlist potential Gender Guidelines Governance Committee and Gender Guidelines Guideline Development Committee members. The Governance Committee was appointed in June 2025. The Guideline Development Committee was appointed in September 2025.

How long will it take to produce the Gender Guidelines?

The Gender Guidelines will be developed in line with NHMRC’s Standards for Guidelines and Guidelines for Guidelines, and the international GRADE approach (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation). This will ensure the Gender Guidelines are based on a rigorous, transparent process and the best available evidence for the safe and appropriate care of trans and gender diverse young people in Australia.

The Gender Guidelines will be developed over a 3 year period, which commenced in 2025. Interim advice for public consultation on the use of puberty suppression will be available in the middle of 2026. The draft guidelines are expected to be available for consultation in 2027.

Guideline publication and dissemination is anticipated to occur in 2028. For further information, refer to the Guideline development webpage.

Questions about the committees

What is the role of the Gender Guidelines Governance Committee?

The role of the Gender Guidelines Governance Committee is to provide advice on the composition of the Gender Guidelines Development Committee, including reviewing disclosure of interest declarations of prospective members, and to advise NHMRC on approaches if governance issues arise during the guideline development process.

The Gender Guidelines Governance Committee met in July 2025 and August 2025.

What is the role of the Gender Guidelines Development Committee?

The role of the Gender Guidelines Development Committee is to develop clinical practice guidelines for the care of trans and gender diverse people under 18 with gender dysphoria. The Gender Guidelines Development Committee will:

  • advise on scope and topics for the guidelines
  • advise on the evidence evaluation process (using GRADE)
  • develop draft and final guidelines
  • consider feedback from consultation activities.

The first Gender Guidelines Development Committee meeting was held in October 2025.

What is the role of the Gender Guidelines Reference Panel?

NHMRC have compiled a Reference Panel to provide a diversity of perspectives on topics and priorities relevant to the end users of the guideline. The Gender Guidelines Reference Panel is not a committee and will not have decision making authority in relation to the guidelines. Participants will be consulted with as needed throughout the project.

The Reference Panel includes young people who have accessed gender services in Australia, parents, caregivers, and clinicians who provide care to trans and gender diverse young people. This will help ensure the guidelines are relevant and meaningful for young people seeking care, their families, and the clinicians providing that care.

How were the Gender Guidelines Development Committee members selected?

NHMRC's Standards for Guidelines require guideline development groups to be composed of a mix of expertise and experience, including those most likely to be affected by the guideline such as consumers, clinicians, and researchers.

As part of its scoping activities, NHMRC consulted on the disciplines and areas of expertise required to produce guidelines for the topic. NHMRC sought candidates through nominations from medical colleges, NHMRC research networks, state and territory gender clinics, and support organisations. All nominations were assessed against a statement of requirement. 

In forming the Gender Guidelines Development Committee, consideration was given to:

  • clinical, research, and lived experience necessary to advise on the evidence
  • disclosed interests
  • geographic location
  • gender balance of the committee
  • the diversity of experiences among trans and gender diverse people, including their varied journeys in accessing care
  • ensuring a mix of experts who have worked in trans and gender diverse child and adolescent health care, and those who have relevant expertise who have not worked directly with the population.

The NHMRC Project Team engaged directly with transgender, gender diverse, and cisgender individuals with personal experience of seeking gender services while under 18 in Australia, including those who have continued, paused, or discontinued aspects of their care, as well as parents of trans and gender diverse young people.

Declarations of interest from all potential members were assessed by NHMRC and the Gender Guidelines Governance Committee using an established risk rating matrix, prior to the member’s appointment. Candidates underwent NHMRC research integrity checks. 

There are 18 members of the Gender Guidelines Development Committee, including 4 people with lived experience of accessing gender services in Australia, either personally (including those who are trans and gender diverse) or as someone caring for a person who has. Other members include clinicians and researchers with expertise in paediatrics, endocrinology, pharmacology, adolescent medicine, psychology, psychiatry, fertility preservation, general practice, Indigenous health, health law, bioethics, and statistics.

Why aren’t all members of the Gender Guidelines Development Committee listed?

The Gender Guidelines Development Committee includes 4 people with lived experience of accessing gender services in Australia, either personally (including those who are trans and gender diverse) or as someone caring for a person who has. There are 3 young people and one parent on the Committee.

The Gender Guidelines Reference Panel also includes participants with a range of experiences of accessing gender services in childhood and adolescence.

The decision not to name these members with lived experience was made based on recommendations received from the Gender Guidelines Governance Committee and on advice received by the NHMRC. Concerns for the safety, wellbeing, and health information privacy of these members have been raised by health practitioners, and support organisations NHMRC has engaged with throughout the consultation process and a decision was made to maintain anonymity of these members. 

How will conflicts of interest be managed?

Ensuring conflicts of interest are identified and managed are part of the NHMRC standard process for guideline development, consistent with NHMRC Guidelines for Guidelines and Standards for Guidelines.

NHMRC and the Gender Guidelines Governance Committee reviewed all declared interests for proposed committee members against an established risk rating matrix, prior to each candidate’s appointment. The risk matrix includes a summary of possible management strategies for each risk category. The Gender Guidelines Development Committee includes a wide and balanced range of expertise to minimise the risk of any one member’s bias or influence.

Actual and perceived conflicts of interest will be declared and managed in accordance with the NHMRC Policy on the Disclosure of Interests requirements for prospective and appointed NHMRC Committee members. The Gender Guidelines Development Committee will review and consider declarations of interest at each meeting (including actual and perceived conflicts), and management strategies will be determined where required.

Questions about guideline scope and content

What is the scope of the guidelines?

The Gender Guidelines will provide advice on the care of trans and gender diverse young people under 18.

Will the guidelines include advice on the use of gender affirming hormone treatment for trans and gender diverse young people, in addition to use of puberty suppression?

The Gender Guidelines will include advice on puberty suppression. Interim advice for public consultation on the use of puberty suppression will be available in the middle of 2026.

The Gender Guidelines will also include advice on gender affirming hormone treatment, and this will be available as part of the draft full guidelines expected for consultation in 2027.

Communications and consultation

When is public consultation? What will it involve?

Public consultation timeframes are published on the Guideline development webpage.

Instructions on how to make a submission will be detailed when that process begins, and that will be published on the website and on the NHMRC consultation hub.

How do I remain up to date with the guideline development process?

NHMRC recognises the importance of considering a variety of experiences and perspectives as part of the guideline development process, and we are continuing to consult with a broad range of stakeholders.

NHMRC has created a contact list to provide updates on this project. All interested parties are invited to subscribe to the contact list via the Guideline background webpage. NHMRC will use this contact list during the project to communicate when updates are available.

More information

If you have any further questions, send your enquiry to genderguidelines@nhmrc.gov.au.

Media enquiries should be directed to NHMRC Media at media@nhmrc.gov.au.