A group dedicated to stopping suicide among LGBTQ+ youth is condemning a Florida board’s decision to ban transgender medical care.
In the wake of the decision by the osteopathic medicine board and the Florida Board of Medicine to disallow treatment modalities that fall under the umbrella of gender-affirming treatment, the Trevor Project condemns the ban of what it calls “the provision of best-practice medical care to transgender and nonbinary youth, even for research purposes.”
“Transgender medical care is well-established, best-practice treatment that can allow transgender young people to live happy, healthy lives. This politically motivated blanket ban would make Florida’s standards of care contradict the guidance of the World Health Organization, World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and every major medical and mental health association in the U.S.,” said Jonah DeChants, Research Scientist at The Trevor Project.
“The Trevor Project conducted the first large-scale study of transgender youth who received gender-affirming hormone therapy, and found that receiving this care was associated with nearly 40% lower odds of recent depression and of a past-year suicide attempt among minors. The Florida Board of Medicine should be investing in additional research and breaking down existing barriers to affirming medical and mental health care across the state, not eliminating one of the best choices trans youth and their families can make to reduce gender dysphoria and promote well-being.”
The stakes are high for a population that is under siege, the Trevor Project notes.
The Trevor Project’s 2022 U.S. National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health by State “found that 54% of transgender and nonbinary youth in Florida seriously considered suicide in the past year, and 20% made an attempt.”
Nationally, 71% of transgender and nonbinary youth have self-reported discrimination based on their gender identity, which has led to an increase in suicide attempts among those experiencing such persecution.
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The Associated Press contributed reporting.