The measure, which received six votes in favor and four votes against, will prevent doctors in this state from performing surgeries on minors and prescribing them drugs, including those that block puberty, as part of a course gender transition, according to “The New York Times”.
These treatments are used in particular to fight against gender dysphoria: psychic disorders that can be experienced by people whose biological identity differs from their gender identity. This new decision will not apply to patients who have already started one of these treatments.
The measure was decided by the Florida State Medical Board, whose 14 members were appointed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis who is seeking re-election to his post. This figurehead of American conservatives has spent months criticizing the treatments given to adolescents in the context of gender transitions.
“A chemical castration”
During a televised debate last week against his Democratic rival Charlie Crist, DeSantis claimed that “a large part of the cases of (gender) dysphoria resolve themselves once (the children) become adults” and compared current methods to the “chemical castration” of teenagers.
In August, his administration banned funding for gender transition treatment through Medicaid, a major US government public health program for low-income people.