Twenty-six states in the United States have implemented bans on gender-affirming health care for transgender children and teenagers, as reported by the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit organization advocating for LGBTQ rights. This data reveals that approximately 40% of transgender youth aged 13 to 17 reside in these states, according to the Movement Advancement Project and The Williams Institute.
The issue of these laws restricting gender-affirming care for transgender minors is gaining attention, especially with the US Supreme Court scheduled to hear oral arguments challenging Tennessee's ban on such care. Gender-affirming care encompasses medically necessary and evidence-based treatments that assist individuals in transitioning from their assigned gender to their affirmed gender.
Ohio, Wyoming, South Carolina, and New Hampshire are the latest states to join the list of those prohibiting gender-affirming care for transgender youth this year. Conversely, Maine and Rhode Island have passed laws to protect such care.
It is important to note that not all states are actively enforcing these bans on gender-affirming care. Legal challenges have temporarily halted the bans in Arkansas and Montana. New Hampshire's ban on surgical care for minors is set to take effect on January 1, 2025, although studies indicate that gender-affirming surgeries for transgender minors are infrequent in the United States.
Arizona has a law banning surgical care for transgender minors in 2022, but Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs signed an executive order in 2023 to ensure continued access to gender-affirming health care.
