Last Updated: Oct 28, 2023
At its annual business meeting on Saturday, Oct. 28, the Pennsylvania Medical Society adopted a policy that will work to protect access to gender affirming care in Pennsylvania.
In the resolution of the policy, it is stated that PAMED will oppose any legislative measures that criminalize or impose legal penalties to health care facilities and physicians who provide gender affirming care.
The author of the policy, PAMED member and medical student, Sebastiano Porcu said, " This resolution is a win-win: PAMED fully supports all patients receiving the medical care they need and PAMED fully supports physicians by protecting the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship against legislative interference.”
“To our patients and their families, adoption of this resolution means that the Pennsylvania Medical Society takes seriously the attempts to limit access to crucial and life-saving care,” he said. “We have seen a wave of legislative bans on transgender medical care across the United States and I wanted to have policy in place charging PAMED to act against such legislation. Adoption also sends an unequivocal message of support to physicians and institutions that provide gender affirming care in Pennsylvania that the care they provide is valued and legislative attempts to restrict or otherwise criminalize that care are not acceptable."
Gender-affirming care is defined by the United States Department of Health and Human Services as a “supportive form of healthcare” consisting of “an array of services that may include medical, surgical, mental health, and non-medical services for transgender and nonbinary people.”
PAMED policy directs the organization’s advocacy efforts and continued education for its members.
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Media Contact:
Myla Merkel, Pennsylvania Medical Society
(717) 909-2654
MediaRelations@pamedsoc.org