Dear School of Medicine community,
As you are probably aware, Senate Bill 140 was signed into law last week. This law bans doctors from treating transgender people under 18 with hormone replacement therapy and most gender affirmation surgeries while criminalizing physicians who undertake these treatments. As a physician and as a public health advocate, I am deeply concerned about the impact this decision will have on Georgia’s youth, their families and those who practice medicine in Georgia. Research has clearly demonstrated the risks of preventing gender-affirming care, including suicidal ideation, anxiety, and depression, as well as the real possibility that patients may seek nonmedically supervised treatments that are potentially dangerous. Statements issued by the Pediatric Endocrine Society and American Academy of Pediatrics and the new Standards of Care issued by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health all speak to these concerns.
I am incredibly grateful to our Government Relations team, whose hard work ensured that our elected leaders understood the impact of this bill. I also want to thank Dr. Jason Schneider, chair of the SOM LGBTQ+ Faculty Affinity Group, for his advocacy efforts. Most importantly, I want to reassert our enduring commitment to LGBTQ+ health. Recognizing that tomorrow is International Transgender Day of Visibility, and further acknowledging the increasing hostility transgender individuals are facing on a daily basis, I encourage each of you to reflect on our collective role in supporting our peers, colleagues, patients, and other members of our community.
If you are need support at this time, please take advantage of the services provided through the Faculty Staff Assistance Program, Counseling and Psychological Services, and the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life. Please also continue to count on your friends and community members at the School of Medicine to serve as sources of comfort and support.
Sincerely,
Carlos
Carlos del Rio, MD
Interim Dean, Emory University School of Medicine
Interim Chief Academic Officer, Emory Healthcare
Leon L. Haley, Jr. MD Distinguished Professor of Medicine
Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine