A group of experts, American Academy of Pediatrics, USA, after voicing the widely accepted medical view that care such as puberty blockers, hormones and sex reassignment surgery may be appropriate treatments for transgender people. It accused Florida of targeting members of the Psychological Society, the Endocrine Society, and others. youth and adults.
The group spoke out last fall in federal court in Tallahassee in support of a lawsuit filed by four transgender patients and their parents to overturn the ban. They said they responded with “extremely inappropriate and invasive” fishing expeditions to communicate their policy position. From” denounced the biases that served to attack the group’s guidelines and credibility.
In-state balloting and deliberative investigations are grounded in the First Amendment right to the association of U.S. and international physicians and researchers, and the “frank and uninhibited” right to their mission and the scientific process. “The dialogue could have a chilling effect,” said attorney Cortlin H. Lanin.
However, attorneys for the Florida Department of Health Care challenged the group’s authority and basis for setting treatment guidelines.
“Openness and transparency are hallmarks of the scientific method,” Florida lead attorney Mohammad O. Jazir wrote to the court. “Throwing itself into the underlying case as the standard bearer of a common scientific opinion on the treatment of gender dysphoria,” the Society now describes how it arrived at that opinion from scrutiny and how it was “a cautiousness among them.” whether or not it is the result of extensive research and discussion”. Membership, or the result of a small number of people determining the outcome. “
After an hour-long hearing on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols significantly narrowed Florida’s demands ahead of the looming February 2 deadline for the Tallahassee lawsuit. rice field.
But Nichols can answer the central question posed by a Florida judge whether it is reasonable for state Medicaid agencies to rule that gender-affirming treatments are “experimental.” We therefore agreed that at least some information held by the group was necessary. medical knowledge.
The legal battle and Thursday’s ruling underscored how aggressively Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (Republican) and his administration are pushing for state attacks on transgender health care. Not only their families in the crosshairs, but increasingly doctors and medical establishments as well.
of lawsuit Filed in Florida after state Medicaid agency End funding for gender reassignment august care, Join Texas and Alabama, and that “only treatments found to be safe and effective and that meet criteria of medical necessity may be eligible.” Since then, state politically appointed medical commissions have become the first to try to ban licensed medical professionals from providing such treatments to minors. offender Penalties including revocation of medical license.
Since 2020, about half of the 50 states have introduced hundreds of bills targeting trans people, especially trans youth, and sponsors say these policies are harmful that they may later regret. However, multiple specialist medical organizations say treatment is possible. reduce emotional distress transgender youth and reduce the risk of suicideThe findings are backed by the largest US study to date. published last week Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, there is growing evidence that gender-affirming treatments improve children’s mental health.
On Thursday, Nichols said the patients and their families who filed the lawsuits were subject to standards set and upheld “by all major medical institutions in the United States” as proof that such treatments were not experimental. said that much depends on the widespread acceptance of a suitable treatment.
“How exactly the guidelines and policy statements were adopted, and [they] So it truly reflects what the medical consensus is relevant here,” Nichols said.
Nichols said he was no stranger to the concerns of Lannin’s clients about possible “harassment or interference” with their First Amendment rights. But his orders were calibrated to prevent that, and the relevance of information that only they might have in resolving disputes over the best available scientific and medical expertise made it possible. It surpasses
“States can provide their own scientific evidence and testimony, but I don’t think they can find a problem with exactly how the guidelines got here without having the requested information.” said Nichols.
He added that Judge Robert Hinkle of the U.S. District Court in Tallahassee blessed “an open-ended inquiry based on what each side can gather” on the question.
Still, Nichols has significantly reduced the scope of the state’s information requests. The judge ordered the American Health Association to produce records “sufficient to show” its total membership. How to establish a position for guidelines and policies, including gender-affirming care for gender dysphoria. “Official communication” with the whole membership especially regarding the latter.
He denied the Florida agency’s request for such “any” records and “any documents and communications,” such as internal emails, showing who was involved in formulating the policy, and said members’ personally identifying information was redacted. It added that it could be banned from publication.
Nichols also denied the state’s request for records detailing contact with plaintiffs, or consideration of the risks and side effects of gender dysphoria treatments, saying such information had already been turned over. blocked as premature Florida’s request to interview under oath representatives of the Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrinology Society, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
Anne Branigin contributed to this report.
