South Dakota (SD) Governor Kristi Noem signed a bill that bans medical and surgical interventions for trans youth.. Transgender flagThe Transgender Flag .The “Help Not Harm” (HNH) bill bans treatments such as puberty blockers and genital surgery..Noem signed the bill into law on Monday and the new law comes into effect on July 1. The SD Senate approved the HNH bill February 9..The law prohibits healthcare professionals from providing the services covered in the ban, or their medical license could be revoked and possible legal action..Noem said kids are the state's future and “will always stand up for the next generation of South Dakotans.”.“South Dakota’s kids are our future. With this legislation, we are protecting kids from harmful, permanent medical procedures,” said Noem in a statement. .The bill prevents healthcare professionals from helping minors to alter their appearance or the perception of their gender identity, different from their biological sex, using specific medical and surgical interventions. . Kristi Noem Blue Jacket .Doctors cannot prescribe drugs that delay puberty or hormones in amounts greater than the body typically produces, such as estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone..Doctors are blocked from performing sterilization surgeries or artificially creating genitalia different from the minor’s biological sex and any procedure removing body parts or tissues..There are exemptions in the law for minors with “medically-verifiable disorders” relating to sex development and needing treatment, such as infections, injuries, diseases or disorders..READ MORE FALLEN AND CAN’T GET UP: Finland trans figure skater falls in opening ceremonies.Besides the penalties for healthcare professionals who violate the law, there is a window for healthcare professionals to reduce the treatment of minors presently receiving gender-altering treatments gradually..“Sex” is defined in the law as the “biological indicators of male and female as determined by chromosomes, hormones, gonads, and genitalia present at birth.”.A Democratic senator proposed an amendment allowing puberty blockers for counselling purposes. The Republican-dominated Senate defeated the amendment..Currently, more than 20 states introduced similar legislation banning “gender-affirming care” for minors..Alabama, Arkansas, and Utah have all passed bans currently blocked by lawsuits.
