Puerto Rico Implements Ban on Gender Transition Procedures for Minors
In a significant legislative move, Puerto Rico has joined multiple states across the U.S. in prohibiting gender transition procedures for minors. This decision aims to safeguard the youth from undergoing irreversible medical interventions that have long-term implications on their physical and emotional health.
Governor Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon of Puerto Rico, representing the Republican Party, formally signed Senate Bill 350 into action, which is now recognized as the Law for the Protection of the Health and Well-being of Minors in Puerto Rico. The bill received overwhelming support with a 24-2 vote in the Senate and a 47-4 vote in the House of Representatives.
Enforced as Public Law 63-2025, the new regulation “prohibits medical or surgical procedures that alter the sexual biology of minors under the pretext of gender transition,” according to the bill’s text. Violators, including healthcare providers, face severe penalties, such as a 15-year prison sentence and a $50,000 fine for legal entities.
The law targets the prohibition of puberty-blocking drugs and hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, used for treating gender dysphoria or altering a minor’s biological sex. Furthermore, it restricts individuals under the age of 21 from undergoing surgeries intended to modify sexual organs, aiming to align physical attributes with a different gender identity.
Healthcare professionals who engage in these banned procedures risk losing their medical licenses. However, exceptions are made for minors with documented intersex traits, allowing them to obtain necessary medical interventions.
This legislative action in Puerto Rico reflects a broader trend across the United States, where more than two dozen states have implemented similar restrictions on gender transition procedures for minors. States like Alabama, Florida, and Texas have enacted comparable laws, driven by concerns over the irreversible nature and potential long-term impacts of such procedures.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order emphasizing the United States’ stance against supporting child gender transition procedures, declaring them as “destructive and life-altering.”
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Skrmetti upheld Tennessee’s ban on these procedures, determining it did not breach the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution. This ruling has further propelled similar legislative actions at both state and federal levels.
The American College of Pediatricians has highlighted significant risks associated with puberty blockers, listing side effects like osteoporosis, mood disorders, and cognitive impairment. The organization warns of increased health risks such as heart attacks and diabetes linked to cross-sex hormones.
Gender-reconstruction surgeries, involving the alteration or removal of healthy body parts to match an individual’s gender identity, remain at the center of this legislative and societal debate.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
