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Florida’s medical board has voted to ban care for transgender minors, a sweeping ruling that will prohibit minors from receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapies. The ban comes on the heels of other states approving similar bans on treatment for transgender youth, although such bans in Alabama, Arizona, and Arkansas have been blocked or not taken effect. Florida is the first state to ban care through its Board of Medicine. The ruling goes against multiple medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Psychological Association and the Endocrine Society, who have endorsed using puberty blockers and hormone treatments in young patients with gender dysphoria. The ban includes exceptions for nonsurgical patients who are already receiving care and will be enacted after a 21-day public comment period.
