South Carolina governor signs ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors
CNN
South Carolina’s Republican governor on Tuesday signed a law banning gender-affirming medical care for minors in the state.
South Carolina’s Republican governor on Tuesday signed a law banning gender-affirming medical care for minors in the state. Gov. Henry McMaster announced the signing of H 4624 in a statement on social media, saying the measure “protects our state’s children from irreversible gender transition procedures and bans public funds from being used for them.” With the law, South Carolina joins more than 20 other states in restricting gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The measure passed earlier this month by 28-8 in the state Senate and 67-26 in the state House. The legislation, which takes effect immediately, bars physicians from providing gender-affirming medical care to minors, including hormone treatments, puberty blockers and surgeries – though surgical procedures are rarely performed on children. Major medical associations agree that such care is appropriate for gender dysphoria, the psychological distress that may result when a person’s gender identity and sex assigned at birth do not align. Under the new law’s provisions, physicians can temporarily continue providing hormone treatments and puberty blockers to minors who were prescribed those treatments prior to August 1, 2024, if the health care professional determines and documents that immediately discontinuing the treatment would case the minor harm. The provider “may institute a period during which the person’s use of the drug or hormone is systematically reduced,” which must end by January 31, 2025.
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