In November, Florida medical boards voted to ban gender-affirming care for minors. Now, the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine plans to do away with an exception that allowed individuals participating in clinical trials to receive puberty blockers and hormone therapy, the Tampa Bay Times reported Feb. 10.
On Nov. 4, the Florida Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine approved rules to bar physicians from offering minors puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgeries as treatment for gender dysphoria. At the time, the Board of Osteopathic Medicine allowed an exception for nonsurgical care for patients enrolled in clinical trials at medical schools in the state.
The board revoked that exception in a Feb. 10 vote. The pending restrictions will not apply to youths already being prescribed puberty blockers and hormone therapy, according to the Times. A date has not been set for when the new rules will go into effect, a spokesperson for the state health department told the news outlet.
The restrictions mean physicians who offer gender-affirming care to youth patients could be at risk of losing their licenses.