Utah lawmakers stand by gender care ban after study refutes reasoning
Two years after Utah banned gender-affirming care for minors, state health officials have released findings that undercut key arguments made by lawmakers who supported the law. The Department of Health and Human Services, tasked with studying the potential risks to children, found little evidence to back claims that such treatments are inherently harmful.
What is Utah’s law on gender-affirming care?
As of 2023, the law prohibits providers from treating new patients who were not diagnosed with gender dysphoria by a certain date and bans sex change surgeries on minors. The law also bans hormone therapy, such as puberty blockers, for minors.
It allows individuals to bring medical malpractice claims related to these treatments and extends the statute of limitations for such claims. Doctors who continue to provide this form of treatment could lose their license and face criminal charges.
What did the study find?
Utah enacted SB 16 and tasked the state’s Department of Health and Human Services with reviewing medical evidence to assess the safety and potential risks of hormone treatments for transgender minors.
The University of Utah College of Pharmacy’s Drug Regimen Review Center (DRRC) conducted the study on behalf of the state and released its findings on May 19 in a 1,000-page report.
Researchers compiled information from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) along with more than 28,000 transgender minors in 134 different clinical studies. For this study, “children” are those who haven’t started puberty, while “adolescents” have begun puberty.
The study found that gender-affirming care for minors was linked to positive outcomes over time. Mental health improved, with gains in psychological functioning, reduced emotional and behavioral issues and increased self-worth. The study also reported better body image, including reduced gender dysphoria and dissatisfaction with primary and secondary sex characteristics.
The study found increased mortality risks among transgender men and women who received hormone therapy, with higher risks observed in transgender women. The leading causes of death were suicide, non-natural causes and HIV/AIDS. However, individuals who received care at a gender clinic before the age of 18 had a lower risk of suicide compared to those who were referred as adults.
What do GOP Utah lawmakers say?
The House sponsor of Utah’s 2023 ban and the current chair of the health committee said they have no plans to lift the restriction on gender-affirming care.
In a joint statement to The Associated Press, Republican Reps. Katy Hall and Bridger Bolinder said, “Simply put, the science isn’t there, the risks are real, and the public is with us.”
Senate President Stuart Adams has opposed gender-affirming care for minors, but told the AP he plans to review the new study.
“That is why Utah enacted a law to safeguard the long-term health and well-being of minors while providing time to carefully examine the evolving medical landscape surrounding novel and irreversible procedures for minors. I appreciate the Utah Department of Health and Human Services for evaluating the available evidence,” he said.
What is Utah’s health agency recommending?
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services is not recommending the removal of the treatment ban but has provided guidance if the state chooses to do so.
Utah’s DHHS suggests creating a treatment board through DHHS and the Department of Commerce to set care standards, certify providers and provide overall oversight. Only experts will be allowed to provide care, which must provide both mental and physical health support. They’ll also require clear, detailed informed consent from both parents and minors. Several states permit minors to receive gender-affirming care without parental consent.
What does the public say?
In a February 2025 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, at least 56% of Americans expressed support for banning doctors from providing treatments that assist minors in changing their gender. The research firm surveyed 5,097 U.S. adults to determine how Americans’ views have shifted over the years.
In 2024, Gallup’s survey found 51% of Americans were against someone changing their gender. However, 44% said that, morally, it was acceptable to do so. According to their findings, over 6 in 10 adults were in opposition to banning gender-affirming care for anyone under 18.
Utah’s findings differ from the federal government
On May 1, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a review of treating children medically who have gender dysphoria.
According to HHS, the review was based on evidence-based medicine, which examined treatments such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for minors. The findings highlight potential risks, including some irreversible effects like infertility. It also notes that evidence of benefits remains limited.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
