South Dakota Bans Transgender Minors From Receiving Gender-Affirming Treatments

South Dakota has become the latest Republican-led state to restrict minors from receiving gender-affirming treatments.

Republican Gov. Kristi Noem signed a bill into law Monday that prohibits transgender youth under the age of 18 from receiving both surgical and non-surgical gender-affirming treatments, according to CNN.

The law, which will take effect on July 1, bans the prescription and administration of puberty-blocking medication and cross-sex hormones related to gender transition. Healthcare providers will also be restricted from performing gender-affirming surgeries.

"Governor Kristi Noem signed HB 1080, the 'Help Not Harm' bill, into law," read a Monday statement. "This bill prohibits certain medical and surgical interventions for minors."

Noem, who strongly supported the bill, also said in the statement, "South Dakota's kids are our future. With this legislation, we are protecting kids from harmful, permanent medical procedures. I will always stand up for the next generation of South Dakotans."

Supporters of the bill claimed the ban would protect minors from permanent changes while opponents said it would be harmful to the overall well-being of transgender children.

"Today is a heartbreaking and tragic day for thousands of South Dakotans and their families," ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) said in a statement. "As much as Governor Noem wants to force these young people to live a lie, we know they are strong enough to live their truth, and we will always fight for communities and policies that protect their freedom to do so."

"Ignoring the warnings of families, advocates, health care providers and transgender South Dakotans themselves, Gov. Kristi Noem signed a law banning gender-affirming health care for any transgender person under 18," ACLU of South Dakota wrote on Facebook. "This ban won't stop South Dakotans from being trans, but it will deny them critical support that helps struggling transgender youth grow up."

South Dakota was one among more than two dozen states in the U.S. considering similar measures this year with regard to gender-affirming treatment.

Experts say gender-affirming treatment significantly contributes to the overall well-being of trans and nonbinary youth, as reported by CBS News.

"When we compared the outcomes of patients who received gender-affirming top surgery to those who did not, we recognized that surgery significantly improved the quality of life for patients," Dr. Sumanas Jordan, the director of the gender pathways program at Northwestern Medicine, previously said about patients aged between 14 to 24.

Noem's signature also fell on a bill in February 2022 that prohibited transgender girls and women from competing on sports teams concurrent with their gender identities.