Kansas bill banning gender-affirming medical treatments until age 21 draws fire from doctors

Kansas SB12 would make it a felony to provide gender-affirming care to trasngender teens and adults under the age of 21. Critics say it would harm transgender youth, who already face elevated rates of depression and suicide.
WICHITA, Kansas — Legislation introduced in the Kansas Senate this week would make it a crime for doctors to provide gender-affirming health care to transgender teens and adults under the age of 21.

That’s drawn almost immediate criticism from some health care providers and transgender rights advocates arguing the state should leave difficult medical choices to families and their physicians.

Republican state Sens. Mike Thompson of Shawnee and Mark Steffen of Hutchinson cosponsored the bill that would make it a class 4 felony to prescribe hormone replacement therapy or puberty blockers to people younger than 21. Clinicians would also risk losing their medical licenses.