The Florida Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine went forward with setting rules to restrict access to gender dysphoria treatment to transgender youth.
Both boards met Friday to further discuss rules approved by both boards in November.
The board’s rules ban prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors, even during research on drugs used to treat gender dysphoria.
In November, the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine put forward a rule allowing treatment as a part of clinical trials.
However, the General Counsel for the Florida Department of Health John Wilson said that the department recommended the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine remove the research exception.
“I think we should all have pause condoning research, course of research, when we ultimately don’t know it can even be conducted ethically from a consent standpoint,” Wilson said.
The osteopathic medicine board unanimously voted ban treatment in clinical trial settings following Wilson’s recommendation from the Florida Department of Health. Over forty members of the public spoke against the new rules and three spoke in support.
“This will drive children to commit suicide. The suicide rates will go up,” said Jenelle Bahan, a transgender advocate against the ban. “There is many people saying ‘I have a transgender kid, I need to leave the state.’”
The three public commenters who supported the ban said they believe it is harming children.
“I'm opposed to children being manipulated and mutilated when they are children,” said Bill Snyder. “Gender dysphoria in children is complicated."
It is not clear when the ban will be put into place. Gender clinics are still accepting new patients. The ban will not impact youth currently going through gender dysphoria treatment.
