FL Department of Health Issues Guidance Against Gender Transition for Minors, Rebutting Biden Administration
April 20, 2022 Updated 10:09 A.M. ET
TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Wednesday, the Florida Department of Health released new guidance against the gender transition of minors.
“Social gender transition should not be a treatment option for children or adolescents,” they said.
The Department’s guidance explains that anyone under the age of 18 should not be prescribed puberty blockers or receive hormone therapy, that they should not have the option to receive gender reassignment surgery, and should receive “social support by peers and family” and “seek counseling” from a licensed provider.
A release from the Department said that the Biden Administration released a misleading fact sheet arguing in favor of “gender-affirming care” for minors.
According to the state agency, there is a lack of high-quality evidence supporting any guidance promoting gender-affirming clinical care.
“One review concludes that ‘hormonal treatments for transgender adolescents can achieve
their intended physical effects, but evidence regarding their psychosocial and cognitive impact is
generally lacking,'” they continued.
“According to the Merck Manual, ‘gender dysphoria is characterized by a strong, persistent crossgender identification associated with anxiety, depression, irritability, and often a wish to live as a gender
different from the one associated with the sex assigned at birth.'”
They noted that their guidelines are consistent with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services age requirement for surgical and non-surgical treatment. The guidelines do not apply to minors born with a verifiable “disorder of sex development,” which are clinically and “biochemically” verified.
After Florida State Representative Randy Fine, a Republican, vowed to make gender-reassignment surgery “felony child abuse,” Florida Democrats defended the operation as “life-saving care.”
“This latest threat to criminalize LIFE-SAVING CARE for LGBTQ youth should shock the conscience of all Floridians,” Florida State Representative Carlos G. Smith said.
“FL Republicans once again showing us that the entire premise of HB1557 [Parental Rights in Education] was & is to attack the health & well-being of LGBTQ+ youth, who they don’t think should even be able to access medical care w/parental consent,” Florida State Representative Anna Eskamani said.
