The ban will prohibit doctors from providing best-practice medical care to transgender and nonbinary youth
March 29, 2023 — The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ young people, condemned the governor’s signage of HB 2007, a law that bans doctors from providing best-practice medical care to transgender and nonbinary youth across West Virginia.
“Personal medical decisions should be made between patients, their doctors, and their families – not by politicians,” said Kasey Suffredini (he/him pronouns), Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project. “60% of transgender and nonbinary youth in West Virginia seriously considered suicide in the past year, and 14% made an attempt. However, research has consistently found that transgender medical care is associated with positive mental health outcomes, including showing promise for reducing suicide risk. This ban goes against long-established standards of care and guidance from every major medical and mental health association in the country. It is unconscionable to see lawmakers prioritize limiting access to care that has saved lives for so many. For young people in West Virginia, The Trevor Project has your back – and we will never stop fighting for you.”
The Trevor Project’s 2022 U.S. National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health by State found that 60% of transgender and nonbinary youth in West Virginia seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, and 14% attempted suicide. At a national level, The Trevor Project’s data has found that 71% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported that they have experienced discrimination based on their gender identity, and those who have reported significantly higher rates of attempting suicide in the past year compared to those who have not.
However, research has also consistently found that transgender medical care is associated with positive mental health outcomes, including showing promise for reducing suicide risk. A 2021 peer-reviewed study by The Trevor Project, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy was associated with nearly 40% lower odds of recent depression and of a past-year suicide attempt among transgender and nonbinary young people under age 18.
According to The Trevor Project’s new polling, 86% of transgender and nonbinary youth say recent debates about state laws restricting the rights of transgender people have negatively impacted their mental health. When asked about new policies that will ban doctors from providing gender-affirming medical care to transgender and nonbinary youth, 74% of transgender and nonbinary youth said it made them feel angry, 59% felt stressed, 56% felt sad, 48% felt hopeless, 47% felt scared, 46% felt helpless, and 45% felt nervous.
If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.
