On Friday, Florida enacted a law that forbids children from receiving puberty inhibitors, cross-sex medications, or gender-confirming surgery.
After hearing evidence from experts and public discussion, the Florida Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine recommended a rule prohibiting medical transition therapies for minors during a legislative meeting on October 28. The regulation was agreed on and approved at a second meeting on November 4; it will go into effect following a 21-day public comment period.
Dr. David A. Diamond, a radiation oncologist and board chair stated, “The major point of agreement among all of the specialists — and I must emphasize this — is that there is a critical need for further, high-quality clinical research.”
Medical experts in Florida have come to the same conclusion as their counterparts in Norway, Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom: that so-called “gender-affirming” care, which includes puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries, is backed by inadequate evidence and carries significant risks. As soon as the regulation is implemented, it will be the first nationwide prohibition of “gender-affirming” care for children imposed by a state medical board.
The committee concluded that the data supporting the use of “gender-affirming” medical procedures in minors was insufficient and that psychotherapy would be a better option for treating teenagers who had recently established a trans-identity.
A new policy prohibiting the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or gender-related operations before the age of 18 was approved by the board’s vote of 6-3. Disobedient doctors may have their licenses revoked.
One exception to the rule’s restrictions applies to people currently undergoing these therapies. The Board of Osteopathic Medicine has decided to provide an exemption for patients who are taking part in a clinical study that the Institutional Review Board has approved. The medical board, however, rejected the deviation.