4 days ago
N.H. Senate approves ban on gender-affirming care for minors
Opponents of
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Proponents said it is important to protect children from treatments that they believe carry significant risks and consequences. They argue that children are not developmentally ready to make potentially life-altering decisions.
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'It's dangerous, it's reckless, and it's gross,' Senator Kevin Avard, a Nashua Republican, said of gender-affirming care, when speaking in support of the bill.
'Leave the kids alone and let them develop,' he said. 'If they're 18 or older, then do whatever you want. You're an adult.'
Gender-affirming hormone treatment has undergone tremendous scrutiny, clinical research, and peer review to become an approved medical treatment, according to the New Hampshire Medical Society.
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The
'This bill would force health care professionals to ignore best practices, to disregard what they know is medically sound, and to watch young people suffer, knowing they have the tools to help them but they are barred from using them,' said Senator Debra Altschiller, a Stratham Democrat. 'That's not medicine, that's political interference.'
Some New Hampshire families with transgender children have been following this legislation closely, with at least a handful of them
The Senate also approved another measure limiting other gender-affirming surgeries for minors.
The bill explicitly bans physicians from performing 'transgender chest surgery' on people who are under 18, with exceptions for medical conditions such as cancer.
The bill would also update the chapter of New Hampshire law adopted last year prohibiting genital gender reassignment surgery on minors. It would extend the ban to other types of gender-affirming surgeries for minors, such as facial feminization or masculinization surgery and removing reproductive organs.
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It would also lift the prohibition on providers from making referrals for such surgeries, so they would be allowed to refer patients to another state where such care is allowed.
Violating the ban would be classified as unprofessional conduct that could lead to discipline from a licensing entity or disciplinary review board.
Amanda Gokee can be reached at
