Notes
Breaking: Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine banned, by executive order, gender-affirming surgery for minors, effective immediately.
The move, announced Friday, came a week after DeWine vetoed a bill that would have banned all gender-affirming medical care for minors — including surgery, puberty blockers, or hormones. There is an effort to override the veto, and DeWine’s actions appeared to be a part of an effort to prevent that.
And yet, the moves announced by DeWine on Friday go beyond the legislation he vetoed, affecting adult care as well.
A state rule is also being proposed that would create significant restrictions on care for all ages. A multidisciplinary team would be required for all gender-affirming care — including at least an endocrinologist, bioethicist, and psychiatrist. A “comprehensive care plan,” with informed consent about “risks,” and extensive mental health counseling also would be required under the rule. “It needs to be lengthy and it needs to be comprehensive,” he said.
Another proposed rule would require aggregate, non-identifiable data collection for all gender-affirming care for people of all ages.
