Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office has sent a memo to state universities requiring them to report how many patients they have provided gender-affirming care to in the past five years, PBS-affiliate WUFT reported Jan. 19.
The memo asks how many people sought or received "sex reassignment treatment" for gender dysphoria, including mastectomies and hormones or puberty blockers. Universities are required to break down the data by patients' ages — but remove all other information that would identify the patients — and send it to the governor's office by Feb. 10.
It is unclear what Mr. DeSantis plans to do with the information; however, his administration has taken steps to block care for transgender people by prohibiting Medicaid coverage for puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender-affirmation surgery, according to WUFT. A law passed by the Florida Board of Medicine Nov. 4 bars physicians from offering puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgeries to minors as treatment for gender dysphoria.
Gainesville-based UF Health and Tampa-based USF Health provide gender-affirming care, according to their websites.