As doctors, we’re distressed by KY bills that threaten the lives of transgender children
As health professionals who provide care for transgender and gender diverse patients, we have great concern, and in fact outright distress, over two bills that have been introduced into the Kentucky legislative session.
Senate Bill 114 would create numerous obstacles to children’s autonomy and self-care at school. House Bill 321 would actually threaten the lives of transgender children and take away the autonomy of health care providers and parents to consider all the options for children’s health. It states that health care providers who provide medical or surgical treatments to affirm gender identity in transgender youth under age 18 will be charged with a Class D felony, which could result in jail time for people providing proper care for children. We are urging all Kentucky voters to contact their legislators in opposition to these dangerous policies, particularly the bill prohibiting medical care.
Research in transgender care has progressed considerably in the last decade and there are now numerous studies supporting decisions by numerous professional organizations*, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, affirming that medical treatment is the standard of care for transgender spectrum children. To summarize the current state of research: transgender spectrum youth have a very high risk of suicide, not to mention self-harm and risk-taking behavior, when they feel compelled to hide their gender dysphoria or are denied available care. Blocking of puberty with completely reversible medications and medical transitioning with hormones, when appropriate for the child’s situation, improve dysphoria and reduce risky behavior and suicidality.
We are proud providers of this medical care, some of us directly and some of us in support roles. As a group, we treat children and adults. We have seen teenagers’ despair and self-loathing improve in a matter of months on hormone therapy. We have seen people who were able to access puberty blockers never face the bullying and PTSD that left their predecessors facing years of mental health therapy and often mind-numbing medications. Providing children and youth with this care is done within the context of the family and only with parental consent. Therapists work hard with these families to help make sure their discernment and decisions are based on consistent and persistent dysphoria rather than things like peer or social influence. We have had so many patients express to us the relief and joy they have at finally seeing themselves in the mirror for the first times in their lives, feeling at home in their bodies and with a place in the world.
If HB321 passes it will not only deprive people of getting this treatment when it is most effective and preventive, but also remove a sacred patient-provider relationship in which we would be criminalized, in fact even put in jail, for providing an accepted and very well supported standard of care. Special interest groups are using scare tactics, to influence moderate, caring Kentuckians and we cannot let this fake news go unanswered.
Access to quality, scientifically proven care is critical. We urge all voters to emphasize these values to your Kentucky legislators with a call, an email, or if possible, a meeting. Let them know that you, as well as respected, mainline institutions back the opposition of HB321 and SB118. We also ask you to advocate for passage of HB199/SB85, which proposes to ban conversion therapy by licensed professionals. Unlike hormone blockers or therapy, conversion therapy, which aims to fundamentally change someone’s identity, has strong evidence of harm. Stopping HB 321 and supporting HB199/SB85 form a foundation of health for transgender youth and may truly save their lives.
This letter is written on behalf of the signed individual providers and not on behalf of the University of Kentucky: Keisa Fallin-Bennett, MD, MPH; Joanne Brown, DNP, APRN; Joyce Crawford, BSW; Amanda Fallin-Bennett, PhD, RN; Kant Y.K. Lin, MD, FACS; Sarah Marks, MD, FAAFP; Robyn Morris, LCSW; Martha Parks, LCSW; Trish Rippetoe Freeman, RPh, PhD, FAPhA, FNAP; Kelly Shaffer, MD; Di Sobel, PhD, HSPP; Megan Walden, RN; Frederick Zachman, MD.
This story was originally published February 7, 2020 at 10:35 AM.