Ohio abandons plans to restrict trans care for adults
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Ohio has scrapped plans to restrict gender-affirming health care for adults
following backlash over a proposal issued last month.
Why it matters: Ohio's proposed limits would have been the toughest restrictions on transition-related care for adults in the country, transgender rights advocates said.
Driving the news: The Ohio Health Department said comments it received in recent weeks showed "significant interest in the original draft's impact on adult patients," according to a Wednesday memo.
- The proposal would have required adults to get approval from an endocrinologist and psychiatrist to receive gender-affirming care.
- Ohio still plans to require that health care facilities show that mental health professionals and endocrinologists are directly involved in gender-affirming care for minors.
- Ohio will also still require providers to report to the state each gender dysphoria diagnosis, any time they initiate treatment and details about when treatment is stopped.
What they're saying: "I'm incredibly relieved that I'll be able to access gender-affirming care in Ohio," said Cam Ogden, a transgender rights activist living in the state, adding that she is still concerned about the reporting rules.
What's next: State agencies must still finalize the rules. They will then go to a public hearing and review from a legislative committee, a spokesperson for Gov. Mike DeWine said.
