HB 570 by Rep. Firment prohibits certain procedures to alter the sex of a minor child and to  designate this act as the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act. The bill is pending  in Committee on Health and Welfare.

Proposed law states that the risks associated with the allowance of irreversible, permanently  sterilizing genital gender reassignment surgery outweigh the scientific benefits.

The author notes “It is a grave concern to the Legislature of Louisiana that the medical  community is allowing individuals who experience distress at identifying with their biological  sex to be subjects of irreversible, and drastic non-genital gender reassignment surgery and  irreversible, permanently sterilizing genital gender reassignment surgery, despite the lack of studies showing that the benefits of such extreme interventions outweigh the risks.

“Studies consistently demonstrate that the vast majority of children who are gender non-conforming or experience distress at identifying with their biological sex come to identify with  their biological sex in adolescence or adulthood, thereby rendering most medical healthcare  interventions unnecessary.

“Scientific studies show that individuals struggling with distress at identifying with their  biological sex often have already experienced psychopathology, which indicates these individuals should be encouraged to seek mental healthcare services before undertaking any  hormonal or surgical intervention.”

Rep. Firment’s proposed law prohibits any physician or other medical healthcare professional  from performing any gender transition procedures on any person under 18 years of age or referring any person under 18 years of age to any medical doctor for gender transition  procedures.

The proposed law prohibits school personnel from encouraging or coercing a minor to withhold from the minor’s parent or legal guardian the fact that the minor’s perception of his gender is  inconsistent with his sex.

“Only a tiny percent of the American population experiences distress at identifying with their  biological sex. According to the American Psychiatric Association, prevalence ranges from five  thousandths of a percent to fourteen thousandths of a percent for natal adult males and from  two thousandths of a percent to four thousandths of a percent for natal females.”