TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Board of Medicine rule banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth in Florida takes effect on Thursday.

According to a state notice, the new Board of Medicine restrictions ban doctors from performing sex reassignment surgeries or prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy for patients under 18. Kids and teens already receiving this treatment will be allowed to continue.

What’s Included in the Ban?

  • No sex reassignment surgeries for minors

  • No puberty blockers or hormone therapy for minors

  • Minors already receiving puberty blockers or hormone therapy can continue

While the Board of Medicine’s rule takes effect on March 16, the Board of Osteopathic Medicine’s rule has yet to take effect. Both bans mirror each other.

Katie Greenley, Senior Manager of Community & Wellness with Plume Health, feels that the process in which minors go about getting these treatments is often misunderstood.

“It’s not as simple as a young person going into a clinic and saying ‘I’m trans’ and wanting hormones and then getting those hormones,” she explained.  “I think a lot of people don’t understand the comprehensive care model that goes into providing informed consent care for trans and non-binary youth. They’re meeting with a whole medical team who is looking at their mental health and where they are in their development.”

Greenley feels this new rule will force doctors to have to make tough decisions.

“It’s scary to think that clinicians have to weigh the impact of providing affirming care, that is in many people’s opinions mine included life-saving medication, over their own well being,” she said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has been vocal about moving this ban forward.

During his State of the State address that kicked off the legislative session in early March, he recognized Chloe Cole who took puberty blockers and had a double mastectomy as a teen and later regretted her decision.

“It’s sad I have to say this, but our children are not guinea pigs for science experimentation and we cannot allow people to make money off mutilating them,” DeSantis said during his address.

On Monday, senators on Florida’s Health Policy Senate committee advanced a bill along party lines that would codify the Board of Medicine’s rule and take it a step further. It specifies the potentially criminal penalties that both doctors and parents could face should they violate the law.

Brandon Wolf, press secretary with Equality Florida, says the state can expect to see a number of legal challenges. He wouldn’t specify which groups or individuals plan to move forward with legal action.

“The next step for the Board of Medicine rule is likely legal action,” he said. “We’ve heard from some of our legal partners that they’re preparing those cases now. I would expect to see that in pretty short order.”