Jul 28, 2023 - News
Florida trans teens drive the farthest for gender-affirming care
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Florida's transgender teens face the longest median travel time to access gender-affirming health care, according to a new study from the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Why it matters: That puts up a massive barrier to health care that every major medical association agrees is medically necessary and in certain cases life-saving.
- "Access to developmentally appropriate medical and social services for transgender youths is associated with mental health benefits and decreased suicidality," the study says.
By the numbers: Florida's median drive time of nearly nine hours was the highest of any state examined in the study.
- Before the state's bans on gender-affirming care for youth went into effect this year, the median drive time was just half an hour.
Yes, but: A federal judge last month blocked enforcement of the bans for three plaintiffs in an ongoing lawsuit.
- The judge wrote that the bans would likely be found unconstitutional and agreed with the plaintiffs that the health care is medically necessary.