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Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has signed into law a bill that will place an indefinite pause on hormone therapy and puberty blockers and ban gender-affirming surgeries for trans minors. The move coincides with a growing number of states considering and implementing laws to restrict access to gender-affirming health care for trans youth, and it represents a seeming reversal for Cox, who just last year vetoed a law that banned trans athletes from participating in girls sports.
Cox said in a statement Saturday that the new law was spurred by a desire to wait for “more and better research” to determine the long-term consequences of hormone-replacement therapy, puberty blockers, and gender-affirming surgeries. Such legislation is not new, particularly in conservative states: In 2022, The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law estimated that nearly 60,000 transgender youth were at risk of losing access to gender-affirming health care due to state bans and policies.
Studies overwhelmingly show that trans people who access desired forms of gender-affirming care report more positive outcomes and that the risks pale in comparison to the benefits of receiving potentially lifesaving treatment. Additionally, major medical organizations including the American Medical Association oppose restrictions on gender-affirming health care, which the organization calls “medically necessary.”