Report

Legal Penalties for Physicians Providing Gender-Affirming Care

June 2023

Despite consensus between professional medical associations regarding gender-affirming care, bans have gained legislative traction. This study examines the legal implications for physicians that continue to provide gender-affirming care in states that ban the practice for minors.  It appeared in JAMA in May 2023.

AUTHORS
  • Christy Mallory
    Legal Director
  • Madeline G. Chin
    Research Fellow, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
  • Justine C. Lee
    Associate Professor of Surgery, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
Highlights
Almost all state laws allow state licensing boards to discipline physicians who provide gender-affirming care.
Many state laws allow private citizens to bring lawsuits against physicians for providing gender-affirming care.
Several laws allow states to take civil legal action against physicians that provide gender-affirming care.
Legal Penalties for Physicians Providing Gender-Affirming Care