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Why doctors say Texas bill that would wean trans youth off of gender-affirming meds is a bad idea

Abortion rights demonstrators and transgender rights activists gather during an International Women's Day abortion rights demonstration at the Texas State Capitol on March 08, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Abortion rights demonstrators and transgender rights activists gather during an International Women's Day abortion rights demonstration at the Texas State Capitol on March 08, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Nineteen states across the U.S. have passed laws banning at least some kind of gender-affirming care for transgender minors — and Texas could be next. The state passed a bill earlier this month that would prohibit doctors from providing surgeries and essential medication for transgender youth.

Notably, any transgender minors already on gender-affirming medication would be required to be weaned off the drug when the legislation is passed.

We hear from Theresa Gaffney, who has been reporting on this for our partners at STAT News, the health and medicine publication.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.