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Publication: The Kenyon Collegian, , Kenyon College, Gambier, OH
On Wednesday morning, the Ohio Public Health Policy Committee held its first hearing for the Ohio Saving Adolescents from Experimentation Act, which would restrict physicians from giving gender-affirming care or transition services to minors in Ohio.
Originally introduced to the Ohio House of Representatives on Feb. 27, the SAFE Act intends to restrict gender-affirming care for minors. Sections of the bill explicitly prevent any physician from performing gender reassignment surgery on a minor or prescribing hormone replacement therapy to a minor. The bill also requires physicians to first screen patients requesting gender-affirming care for a history of trauma or other mental health conditions, and to report all findings to the Ohio Department of Health for data collection. The SAFE Act also restricts physicians’ abilities to recommend adolescents for out-of-state care, intending to prevent access to HRT or gender-affirming surgery outside of Ohio.
Ohio...