In a time where political partisanship is at an all-time high, and even highly personal issues such as gender or sexual identity policies are moving into either right or left camps, politicians should be cautious in considering their positions on this issue.

Legislation passed this week that was tied to increasing the capacity of behavioral health care for children in the state, came with some strings attached primarily that state funding for life-altering transgender treatments for youth would be restricted. The legislation states that no money may be spent by the University Hospitals Authority for the benefit of any facility owned by the University Hospitals Authority or University Hospitals Trust performing gender reassignment medical treatment on any patient younger than 18.

The controversy swirls mostly around the University of Oklahoma Childrens Hospital, which operates a program that provides gender-affirming scope of treatment that includes using puberty blockers, managing gender-affirming hormone therapy and finding surgeons who perform gender-reassignment surgeries.

There still is so much to understand and learn about what many young people are facing when it comes to gender and sexual identity. We believe hospitals and physicians should be a part of working with children and families on those issues; however, when it comes to performing these life-altering procedures on children, there is legitimate concern in medical circles to exercise great caution.

A recent New York Times article points out that these procedures raise definite ethical questions, and some experts urge caution in treating children with puberty-blocking drugs and hormones.

The article states some clinicians have pointed to the rising demand and the turmoil of adolescent development as reasons for doctors to slow down before offering irreversible procedures. Although medical experts believe the likelihood to be small, some patients come to regret their surgeries.

This is not an issue of not trusting parents or physicians judgment regarding the needs of their children or patients, as some Democratic supporters suggest. Any type of life-altering surgery performed on a minor should be very carefully considered. We understand these issues put parents and caregivers in a sensitive position because they want to do what they can to help their children; however, children under the age of 18 do not have the judgment needed to make such drastic decisions.

Lawmakers have the right to withhold taxpayer funding for these types of programs performed at state-funded hospitals. However, outlawing or criminalizing medical facilities and professionals should not be on the table. Instead, lawmakers take the time and effort to further study the issue with care and honest consultation with physicians and families.

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EDITORIAL: Political stances on gender reassignment treatment for minors need to be carefully considered - Enid News & Eagle

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