Elle Palmer and Asher Wilcox-Broekemeier are teenagers whose journeys of self-discovery have been met with roadblocks. As transgender youth, they require gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers and hormone treatments, to prevent irreversible changes to their bodies. But Republican lawmakers across the country have banned these treatments for minors.
Eight states, including conservative Utah and South Dakota, have implemented these restrictions, and at least nine more are slated to follow suit by next year. Those who oppose gender-affirming care raise concerns about the long-term effects of treatments on teens, but these fears are largely unfounded. Research shows that transgender youth are more likely to consider or attempt suicide and less at risk for depression and suicidal behaviors when able to access gender-affirming care.
For Elle and Asher, the new laws have put their health and well-being at risk. Elle came out as a transgender girl in fifth grade and had planned to start hormone treatment this summer. However, Utah’s Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed a gender-affirming care ban in January, causing Elle’s mother to rush to get her treatment months earlier than planned.
Asher, on the other hand, is still waiting for gender-affirming care. When Asher began menstruating, he felt a terrifying disconnect between how his body was changing on the outside and how he felt inside. Nearly two years ago, doctors prescribed puberty blockers and birth control to slow breast development, regulate menstruation, and lower the pressure of his disconnect with his body. But now, South Dakota has banned the medications and procedures that Asher needs, leaving his family scrambling to find a new doctor in neighboring Minnesota.
The bans on gender-affirming care for minors have parents and doctors worried about the long-term consequences for these vulnerable youth. Dr. Nikki Mihalopoulos, an adolescent medicine doctor in a Salt Lake City specialty clinic with transgender teens, worries that the new laws will make families too scared to seek help and doctors too scared of losing their licenses to provide care.
Transgender youth already face significant challenges in society, including higher rates of suicide and discrimination. These new laws are further exacerbating these challenges and putting the lives of transgender youth at risk. It is important for policymakers to understand the impact of their decisions on vulnerable communities and work to ensure that all youth have access to the care they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives.