Criminalizing Transgender Care

Authors

Lewis Grossman, American University Washington College of LawFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-28-2024

Journal

Iowa Law Review (forthcoming)

Abstract

Since 2021, twenty-four states, in extraordinarily quick succession, have enacted statutes banning physicians from prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors for treatment of gender dysphoria. Although the Food and Drug Administration has not approved these drugs for this use, off-label prescribing is a common practice, and leading medical organizations all agree that this off-label use of puberty blockers and sex hormones is an essential component of transgender medical care. These state laws thus represent an extreme, and unprecedented, interference with the provision of standard-of-care medicine. This article, after exploring the ongoing litigation challenging these bans, argues that they violate a fundamental right under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment—namely, the right to obtain standard-of-care treatment from a physician. It demonstrates that this right is deeply rooted in America’s history and traditions by presenting the first-ever comprehensive review of state policies regarding off-label prescribing practices and showing that the states have virtually never interfered with physicians’ prescribing decisions in this manner. Finally, in light of relevant judicial precedents, this article shows why courts should strike down these unparalleled, oppressive state laws as unconstitutional.

Recommended Citation

Lewis Grossman, Criminalizing Transgender Care, Iowa Law Review (forthcoming) (2024).
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/facsch_lawrev/2248