Episode description

Gender-affirming care is on the ballot in this presidential election. These treatments, which can include hormone therapy and surgeries, can be lifesaving for trans people. But they could be impacted by the results of this election.

This year alone, states have considered 182 bills aimed at prohibiting gender-affirming care. It’s become a central part of Donald Trump’s campaign, which has stated that, if he is elected, he’ll ask Congress to ban Medicare and Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care, and cut off federal funding to hospitals and clinics that do provide it.

Guest host Rachel Feltman discusses what’s at stake for gender-affirming care this election season with Dr. Logan Casey, director of policy research for the Movement Advancement Project, and Kate Steinle, chief clinical officer at FOLX Health.

Transcript for this segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.

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