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Letters to the Editor for Feb. 2:

The Hippocratic oathis a commitment all physicians make to our patients. Whether its ordering tests, recommending treatment plans, or communicating with families, we take this oath into consideration in all aspects of our medical practice. As a pediatrician, I take very seriously the need to protect children. It is the foundation of our profession. However, I cannot ignore the devastating consequences to children that are being proposed in HB 1057 all in the name of protecting children."

This bill ignores evidenced-based gender affirming care that is supported by organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and criminalizes doctors who provide this care to patients. Studies show that gender affirming care is linked with lower odds of suicidal thoughts over the lifetime of young transgender people and the physical effects of supportive treatment are not permanent if treatment is stopped. Complex care decisions for the transgender and gender diverse youth are not made on a whim. It is a process that requires lengthy evaluation and counseling with the child, parents, and the medical team to ensure that the wellbeing of the child is at the core of the decision. Turning over that sacred and confidential trust to the legislature to determine is not good medicine.

As a pediatrician and advocate for all children, I believe HB 1057 is harmful to the wellbeing of our children. It creates a precedent where policy makers dictate medical practice that is not based on evidence but on personal opinions. Furthermore, it is government intrusion into the private patient-family-doctor relationship. To support HB 1057 is equivalent to a vote of no confidence in our physicians ability to care for children. It should be rejected by our lawmakers.

Richard Vo, MD, Sioux Falls

I own many guns and am an avid hunter. I am also an honorably discharged Vietnam Veteran (drafted) and very active in South Dakota's National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI). With this said I must say I amvery disappointed in our current legislature. I have approached a number of legislators asking if they would sponsor a simple bill. It would prohibit the future sale of any magazine clip which has the capacity to hold more than five bullets. It would not impact the ownership of any firearm or these clips, but would prohibit any future sale. There are similar laws already in place - you must have your shotgun plugged so it can only hold three shells when hunting waterfowl.

We have been fortunate here in South Dakota not to have encountered any mass shootings . If limiting the number of bullets within any firearm saves one life, it is good legislation. It is apparent the NRA wields so much power, influenceand money that any common sense gun control legislation is doomed.

I am attempting to do something but cannot find a single sponsor. This discussion must occur before we have our own tragedy. If there is one legislator willing to discuss, please contact me.

David Braun, Pierre

The state legislature is a good few weeks into itssession. Sadly, it appears that this year will follow the usual muddle of bills as some legislators are off to a mean start with the transgender bill (at least Fred Deutsch has moved the proposal out of the bathrooms this year) and the inane ban on a ban of plastic bags.

Come on people!! This state needs to focus on the big deal stuff: increasing Medicaid, providing assistance for the rapidly growing list of nursing home closures, increasing pay for teachers and state employees, looking at alternate ways to provide income to the state such as legalizing sports gambling and hemp production, revamping the trust laws, and yes, just maybe calling for a small personal income tax and (gasp) corporate income tax. One can hope that during the next few weeks, some of this will be accomplished.

And we (thats you and me, folks) can make a difference: get to the cracker barrel sessions, email your legislators, call your legislators. Put pressure on them to do what is important. Let them know we will no longer abide legislators who idle away our tax dollars by squandering time on these waste makers.

Mary Richards, Spearfish

Im a female veteran who served in the United States Army and strongly support Senator Bernie Sanders for President. As a member of the Army Medical Specialist Corps, I cared for active duty and retired military and their families at Walter Reed and Tripler Army Medical Centers, an honor of which I am extremely proud. Military members valiantly don uniforms, in exchange for their lives, to defend our country from harm. Families unselfishly stand by their military members and country.

More than 6,900 US troops have died in Iraq and Afghanistan; over 52,000 have been wounded. Studies have shown 13-30% of returning troops screen positive for PTSD. It is reported that 17 veterans commit suicide every day. Thousands of military families lost a loved one or have a loved one return from deployment who can no longer function as a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a significant other, due to war-related trauma. These tragedies are largely suffered by us, working class families, the backbone of our military, who believe in defending our country and in politicians who ask of us the ultimate sacrifice.

Senator Sanders understands the weight of such requests. In 2002, he voted against rushing into war with Iraq without proof of weapons of mass destruction. Too many brave lives have been lost or damaged and the human destruction continues to this day. Yet, politicians, Democrats and Republicans, are raising questions about entering into another war with Iran. Who pays for these decisions? Our working-class families do, in life, limb and mind. Senator Sanders has stated, I will do everything I can to stop a war with Iran."

Senator Sanders will honor our military, during and after active service. I stand with Senator Sanders for President.

Mary Dugan, Hot Springs

I am compelled to write this letter as I just read the disturbing news of another inmate succeeding in committing suicide by hanging under the watch of our county jail system. I now know of twohuman beings in eightmonths committing suicide by hanging in our county jail. My niece succeeded in May of 2019. I have to ask myself:how can this happen?Are there not enough qualified staff to protect those that might be a danger to themselves? Orare some of these mentally ill people thought of like "frequent flyers" that they don't need to be watched?

I am saddened for the family of the man who died in jail on Wednesday Jan 29. I can not tell you how much a family is hurt from the issue of suicide. Please if you know someone who is struggling with mental illness, please say something to anyone. Let it be known. For those who are struggling please get some help anywhere. Ask someone. I pray for peace.

Kaylynn Montis, Sioux Falls

Once again, the South Dakota Legislature is obsessed with all things transgender. After failed attempts to ban transgender kids from bathrooms and sports, Representative Fred Deutsch is attempting to ban those same kids from appropriate medical treatment. He found a gullible House after his exhaustive review of the internet and comparing treatments the what the Nazis experiments did in Auschwitz.

Maybe its time for a reality check:

1) Are there any doctors or surgeons in South Dakota that perform gender confirming surgeries? According to Blue Cross/Blue Shield the answer is NO.

2) Are there ethical guidelines for gender confirming treatments that must be followed for any counselor, doctor, endocrinologist, or surgeon? The answer again in YES. If Representative Deutsch had done his homework, he would have learned of International guidance called WPATH that among other things requires the transgender patient to undergo counseling and be certified by two counselors with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

3) Are there counselors certified under the WPATH guidelines? YES, but, there are few certified counselors available. As an example, there are only two in Sioux Falls; however, there are many that advertise services to transgender individuals. In my opinion, this is the area where there are significant weaknesses and the State should be more active is policing those that offer services without certification.

4) Who can administer hormone therapy necessary under the guidelines? Appropriately the answer is an endocrinologist. Again, looking at Sioux Falls, there are a very limited number of these doctors available with months long waiting lists for treatment and who also require referrals from the counselors noted previously.

5) What else should you know? Hormone blockers are provided to identified youth as they enter puberty to pause puberty and is totally reversible. This is a collaborative effort between the patient, their parents, doctors, and counselors. A reasonable person should be able to draw the conclusion that there is an extremely long process before a minor could receive any treatment.

6) Are there other requirements to legally change names and gender? YES, but this also requires some of the services listed above.

These kids have the highest risk of harming themselves or committing suicide. They are at the highest risk for being homeless by outing themselves to their parents. They are the highest risk group subject to bullying as well. You should understand that these individuals dont want to be outed because of the risks of abuse. If you think undergoing treatment is a choice you should know that this is probably the hardest choice a person could ever make. The question you should ask yourself and your representatives is would you rather provide treatment to these individuals or risk a child committing suicide?

Once again Representative Deutsch is leading the charge to discriminate against a small population of vulnerable kids. We should be better than this.

Steve Marty, Sioux Falls

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Transgender bill goes against the medical community: Your Letters to the Editor for Feb. 2 - Argus Leader

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