The Florida Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine have scheduled a public hearing on their plans to restrict gender-affirming care for minors. The joint hearing will take place in Tallahassee on Feb. 10.
Kids and their families seeking transgender care say they continue to have serious concerns about the changes.
The proposals, as written, would bar doctors from providing gender-affirming medications to minors, but children already receiving them could continue.
If that happens, Tampa Bay area resident Lisa said her 13-year-old daughter should still be able to access the puberty blockers she’s been taking for about a year to delay physical changes that don’t align with her identity. (Health News Florida is not using Lisa's last name to protect her privacy.)
She worries her daughter could face hurdles when she’s ready to start estrogen hormone therapy.
“Is she grandfathered in?” Lisa asked. “Is this all considered the same care, is it considered different care? We don't know.”
Lisa opposes the boards’ efforts to restrict care, but hopes to at least get some clarity at the upcoming hearing. She said confusion about the proposals has caused a lot of stress for her and her daughter, and she believes the boards’ decisions are politically motivated.
“It’s clear it’s not about the health and safety of children but about punishing ‘others,’ ” said Lisa, with “others” meaning transgender residents.
Doctors who treat young patients with gender dysphoria, or the distress a person feels when their body doesn't align with their identity, say social support and hormones can offer many benefits, including reduced anxiety and depression. A recent study found the vast majority of kids who receive gender-affirming care stick with it. Medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics and Endocrine Society support providing access to gender-affirming treatments for youth.
Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo recommends against these treatments for minors and urged state medical boards to implement restrictions. Researchers have gone on to say Ladapo and other state officials misrepresented data about gender-affirming care.
The medical boards voted in November to advance proposals that would also prevent doctors from performing gender-affirming surgeries on minors. Most health facilities already don’t allow these procedures for patients younger than 18. In rare cases, some doctors have performed surgeries, usually involving older teenagers getting breast tissue removed with parental consent.
While both boards agreed to limit how doctors can treat gender dysphoria in children, their proposals are not the same. Families and advocates for transgender youth are also watching to see whether, during the hearing, changes are made to a research exemption that only one board included in its proposal.
The Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine agreed to allow new patients to access treatments through clinical trials at Florida medical schools. The Board of Medicine was expected to include the exemption, but members voted to remove it from their proposal during the last joint meeting.
It's unclear whether the boards will tweak their proposals to be more in line with one another or continue to move forward with two different standards of care. The Board of Medicine regulates medical doctors, or MDs, while the Board of Osteopathic Medicine regulates doctors of osteopathic medicine, or DOs.
Members of both boards have stressed they are nonpartisan throughout the proceedings, though some have admitted to donating money to Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaigns in the past.
DeSantis has appointed several new members to each board since they voted to advance these proposals.
How to attend and share feedback
Members of the public can attend the joint hearing on Friday, Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. According to a notice the boards posted on Jan. 9, the meeting should end no later than 5 p.m.
It will be held in the Department of Transportation Auditorium, Burns Building, 605 Suwannee St., Tallahassee, 32399.
Speakers will be given three minutes to voice their opinions on the rules and ask questions.
Those who cannot attend can still share written feedback ahead of the meeting. Public comments may be submitted to the boards until 5 p.m. Feb. 7. The email address is BOMPublicComment@flhealth.gov.
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