South Dakota Passes Bill Where Doctors Helping Trans Children Transition Could Be Sent To Prison

A law has been passed in South Dakota by lawmakers in the South Dakota House of Representatives not allowing doctors to help trans children medically transition. Specifically, doctors who help trans children under the age of 16 transition by giving puberty-blocking drugs or gender confirmation surgery, will face up to a year in prison or a $2,000 fine. 

Anne Dilenschneider, a South Dakota psychologist, warns that not allowing children to transition could make them suicidal. 

“One of the biggest problems for these kids is … their sense of who they are isn’t matching their body,” she said.

“They’ve got a body developing in a way that is causing a huge crisis. And they want it to stop,” she added. 

Supporters of the bill claim that transitioning at a young age can harm young people, who may not completely understand the risks. 

Specifically, Fred Deutsch, a South Dakota Republican representative, described the procedures as “criminal acts against vulnerable children who are too young to understand the impact.”

According to ‘The Guardian’, “a study of 20,619 trans adults published earlier this month found those who wanted and received puberty-blockers were less likely to have a history of suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts by their mid-30s.”

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