Trans health care is a "matter of life or death," doctors say
CBSN
Transgender rights — and in particular, health care for transgender children and teens — has become a focus of Republican lawmakers and a new front in the national culture wars. Dozens of bills have been proposed in states around the country targeting a variety of transgender issues, from participation in sports to discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in classrooms. But in the past two months, there has been a concentrated uptick in legislation focused on banning gender-affirming health care for youth.
In Texas, one of the most restrictive orders from Governor Greg Abbott classifies gender-affirming care as child abuse and would require licensed professionals to report children who have undergone care like puberty blockers or hormones. While the investigation of families in Texas has been temporarily blocked by a judge, the introduction of similar bills in Republican-led legislatures like Idaho and Arizona has prompted a wave of condemnation from the medical community.
CBS News spoke with five gender health professionals about the most common misconceptions people have about transgender health care and what affirming care actually looks like.
