Florida’s Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine adopted rules last week that officially bar doctors from using puberty blockers and other drug regimens as well as surgeries to treat gender dysphoria in minors.
In July, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo filed a petition seeking restrictions on the drugs and procedures, a move backed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, arguably the most politically notable Republican leader of the 2022 midterm election season who himself seeks reelection on Tuesday.
The state medical boards voted to approve the new rules on Friday after a hearing that heard from both opponents and proponents of so-called “gender-affirming” treatments for children.
Ladopo hailed the decision, which he said “will protect our children from irreversible surgeries and highly experimental treatments,” in a statement on Friday, CBS News reported.
“I appreciate the integrity of the Boards for ruling in the best interest of children in Florida despite facing tremendous pressure to permit these unproven and risky treatments,” the Surgeon General said.
“Children deserve to learn how to navigate this world without harmful pressure, and Florida will continue to fight for kids to be kids,” he said.
This comes just days before the midterm election during which issues surrounding transgender ideology both by way of treatments for children and curriculum in public schools have received ample attention from candidates across the nation.
Republican leaders have championed concerns surrounding hormone drugs and surgeries for children as well as restricting transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports as well as spoken to parents who object to pornographic materials and curriculum in public schools that is often included in the name of making LGBT students feel more comfortable.
A number of states including Texas and Arkansas have sought to ban gender-affirming treatments for minors as consensus grows that too little is known about the long-term safety and efficacy of this approach to gender dysphoria in children.
Although the Biden administration officially endorses this approach with President Joe Biden vocalizing his opposition to states banning the controversial interventions last month, a growing number of doctors are raising concerns that gender-affirming care standards.
Earlier this year, the pioneering UK gender clinic Tavistock shuttered its doors after an independent report questioned the evidence cited to support using puberty blockers among minor patients.
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