Florida bans sex reassignment treatment for children and teens

The decision was prompted by a request from State Surgeon General Joseph Ladopo in August. The Board of Medicine and the Osteopathic Medicine Board heard from the public about it last week. On one side of the debate are transsexuals who report that they have benefited from these treatments, along with advocates of procedures who warn that denying them risks pushing young people affected by dysphoria (a psychiatric condition of persistent discomfort with one’s own sex) to suicide; on the other side are people who regret having had these procedures, known as detransitioned, among others who remember that they are generally irreversible or dangerous procedures for which children do not have the ability to give informed consent.

Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary of the Department Department of Health and Social Services, herself a transsexual, condemned the rule speaking to the science news website STAT News. “This is the first time I’ve seen medical advice used as a weapon against healthcare professionals who are offering evidence-based treatments,” Levine said. For her, it is an unprecedented decision.

The council policy is in the draft stage and must go through an approval process that could take weeks. It is possible that it will be challenged in the courts. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed laws that have annoyed identity activists, such as a ordinance banning discussion of sexual topics in kindergarten and early elementary school, and a bill dubbed the “Anti Sealing Act.” (“stop woke act”, in free translation).

An analysis by medical technology company Komodo Health Inc indicated that the number of children diagnosed with dysphoria has skyrocketed 70% in between 2020 and 1280. Different health organizations recognize that the available data on the effects of puberty blockers are scarce.

Receive Our News

Newsletter On the cellphone

10170129

Get our newsletters10170129

By registering for our newsletters, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, including receiving content and promotions from Gazeta do Povo. Unsubscribing can be done at any time at this link.