(PORTLAND, Ore.) - The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is deeply disappointed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors. This ruling directly contradicts the overwhelming medical consensus and disregards decades of scientific research supporting this care as safe, effective, and lifesaving.
 
Gender-affirming care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, is endorsed by every major medical organization in the United States, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, and the Endocrine Society. These treatments have been shown to significantly reduce depression, anxiety, and suicidality in transgender youth. One peer-reviewed study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that access to puberty blockers during adolescence was associated with a 73% lower risk of suicidality in transgender adults.
 
Further research from The Lancet and Pediatrics confirms that timely access to gender-affirming care improves mental health outcomes and overall well-being for transgender youth, while bans like Tennessee’s lead to measurable harm, including increased psychological distress and suicide risk.
 
ONA believes that all young people deserve access to medically necessary care, free from political interference. Today’s decision is not based on science, public health, or the well-being of children; it is rooted in ideology, and it places vulnerable youth at serious risk. 
 
ONA will continue to advocate for healthcare grounded in evidence for every patient, in every community.