Statement attributable to:
Ryan D. Mire, MD, MACP
President, ACP
WASHINGTON March 1, 2023 – The new Mississippi law that will ban gender-affirming care for patients under the age of 18 poses a dangerous threat to the health of individuals who need these evidence-based services. The American College of Physicians (ACP) is strongly opposed to unnecessary government interference in the patient-physician relationship that prevents physicians from providing their patients with evidence-based, medical services. Laws and policies that restrict access to gender-affirming care reinforce marginalization and discrimination, increasing the risk of anxiety, substance use disorders, suicide, and other mental health issues for those it affects. Transgender individuals already face extreme barriers to accessing necessary health care, this type of interference in the patient-physician relationship is unacceptable.
Moreover, this new law also threatens the medical license of any physician or other health care professional who violates the ban. Physicians should not face civil or licensure penalties for providing medical care that is in accordance with the recommendations of ACP and other medical organizations. Instead of policies that block access to health care and harm the patient-physician relationship, we need to seek ways to better support these families, improve access to care for these services, and reduce social stigma.
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 160,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Contact: Jacquelyn Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org