最新杏吧原创

Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, on Thursday published that will apply to Missourians of all ages starting April 27, including a new therapy requirement that creates an 18-month waiting period for people seeking care.

鈥淕ender-affirming health care will be very challenging to access for transgender adults and transgender youth going forward,鈥� said Shira Berkowitz, spokesperson for the Missouri advocacy group PROMO.

The new regulation, Berkowitz said, will have a chilling effect on transgender care for current and future patients.

鈥淎nd it鈥檚 going to continue to instill a huge amount of fear and sadness in a community that is ... being used as political pawns,鈥� she said.

Bailey had previously only mentioned regulations for minors. His spokeswoman acknowledged Thursday night the emergency regulation would affect everyone. Puberty blockers, hormone therapies and surgeries would all be restricted under the new rules.

鈥淲e believe everyone is entitled to evidence-based medicine and adequate mental health care,鈥� said Madeline Sieren, spokeswoman for Bailey.

She did not respond to a request to interview Bailey about the rules.

The new regulation says current patients may continue with a 鈥渟pecific intervention that has already begun.鈥� But the patient would need to 鈥減romptly鈥� seek 鈥渢o initiate the treatments and assessments called for鈥� by the state.

Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of the 最新杏吧原创 Region and Southwest Missouri, said Friday the organization was 鈥渋ncreasing our capacity to welcome as many new gender-affirming care patients as possible before this disastrous rule takes effect on April 27.鈥�

Planned Parenthood, which provides hormone replacement therapy to patients 16 or older, said Bailey鈥檚 rules were an attempt 鈥渢o effectively ban gender-affirming care in Missouri.鈥� The group said it already provides such care to more than 1,000 patients.

鈥淭o the transgender and nonbinary patients seeking care: Our doors remain open,鈥� McNicholas said.

The regulations, citing the state鈥檚 merchandising practices act, state that it鈥檚 鈥渦nfair, deceptive, fraudulent, or otherwise unlawful practice鈥� for any health care provider to provide a covered treatment, or refer someone for one, if the provider fails to adhere to the list of state requirements.

Bailey鈥檚 rules require a 鈥渇ull psychological or psychiatric assessment,鈥� of at least 15 separate, hour-long sessions over at least 18 months.

The rules also bar treatment unless a provider ensures that 鈥渁ny psychiatric symptoms from existing mental health comorbidities of the patient have been treated and resolved.鈥�

The rules also require annual assessments to ensure someone is 鈥渘ot experiencing social contagion鈥� and, for minors, annual assessments for social media addiction.

The requirements also include annual assessments on whether the patient continues to have gender dysphoria and a requirement that physicians provide a health disclosure to patients written by the attorney general鈥檚 office.

Patients would also need to be screened for autism.

National LGBTQ rights groups blasted Bailey鈥檚 move.

Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Human Rights Campaign, and GLBTQ Advocates and Defenders issued on Thursday a joint statement blasting the rules.

鈥淭his action by Missouri鈥檚 Attorney General crosses a red line that should strike fear in the heart of every person who values individual liberty and believes that individuals, not government officials, should make health care decisions for their children and themselves,鈥� the statement said.

鈥淐utting off treatment for those who need it will create predictable, unnecessary, and serious harm,鈥� the groups said. 鈥淚t is also a blatant attempt to strip transgender people of equal protection under the law and to subject them to intrusive government surveillance and control.鈥�

The ACLU of Missouri and Lambda Legal issued a joint statement Thursday:

鈥淲e will defend the rights of transgender people through any necessary legal action, just as we have done in other states engaging in this anti-science and discriminatory fearmongering.鈥�

Late Friday afternoon, the 最新杏吧原创 County Department of Public Health issued an advisory in response to Bailey鈥檚 regulation that encourages affected individuals to contact Lambda Legal and the ACLU for information on patient rights.

The health department also said the Metro Trans Umbrella Group provides services and resources locally, and shared the numbers for the Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860) and the 最新杏吧原创 Queer+ Support Helpline (314-380-7774).