On Wednesday, the Florida Health Department issued guidance aimed at barring doctors from attempting to treat gender dysphoria in children with gender reassignment surgery, puberty blockers, and other treatment options that have irreversible effects.
“Systematic reviews on hormonal treatment for young people show a trend of low-quality evidence, small sample sizes, and medium to high risk of bias,” a press release from the Florida Health Department said. “A paper published in the International Review of Psychiatry states that 80% of those seeking clinical care will lose their desire to identify with the nonbirth sex.”
The press release noted that 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.”
The press release cited the Merck Manual, which says, “gender dysphoria is characterized by a strong, persistent cross-gender 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.”
The Department explained that due “to the lack of conclusive evidence, and the potential for long-term, irreversible effects,” its guidelines are:
- Social gender transition should not be a treatment option for children or adolescents.
- Anyone under 18 should not be prescribed puberty blockers or hormone therapy.
- Gender reassignment surgery should not be a treatment option for children or adolescents.
- Children and adolescents should be provided social support by peers and family and seek counseling from a licensed provider.
