International › Norway · Last reviewed 2026-05-16
Norway — Ukom 2023
Summary
The Norwegian Healthcare Investigation Board (Ukom) published a report in March 2023 stating that puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors should be classified as experimental treatments. Ukom recommended restricting prescription to research settings and improving documentation of long-term outcomes.
1. Ukom report March 2023
The Norwegian Statens undersøkelseskommisjon for helse- og omsorgstjenesten (Ukom) is an independent government body for investigating patient safety. In March 2023 Ukom published the report "Pasientsikkerhet for barn og unge med kjønnsinkongruens", with findings including:
- The evidence base for GnRHa and CSH in minors is "insufficient" and must be characterised as experimental.
- Norwegian care should focus on a research setting with systematic follow-up.
- Practitioners must inform patients and parents of this status.
2. Recommendations
Ukom advised the Norwegian Helsedirektoratet to revise the national guideline for gender care, with specific attention to (i) the distinction between early-onset versus adolescent-onset, (ii) ASD comorbidity and (iii) long-term registration via structural follow-up. The renewed guideline was still in preparation in 2025.1
See also
- Comparable HTA reports: SBU (Sweden), Cass Review (UK)
- Comparable national policy changes: Finland, Sweden, UK
- Worldwide overview: Status 2025
- International comparison — Norway alongside other countries in table.
- Timeline — policy decisions chronologically.
- FAQ · Glossary.
Footnotes
- Ukom. Pasientsikkerhet for barn og unge med kjønnsinkongruens. Stavanger; March 2023.