@NCCapitol

NC endocrinologists: HB2 causes 'unnecessary hardship' for patients

A group of North Carolina doctors trained in endocrinology has submitted a petition to Gov. Pat McCrory calling for reconsideration of House Bill 2.

Posted Updated
House Bill 2
RALEIGH, N.C. — A group of North Carolina doctors trained in endocrinology has submitted a petition to Gov. Pat McCrory calling for reconsideration of House Bill 2.

The {{a href= "document-15647401"}}petition{{/a}}, signed by 20 physicians, states that the law that requires people to use the public bathroom that matches the gender on their birth certificate is flawed from a medical standpoint.

"A law that defines biological sex as ‘the physical condition of being male or female, which is stated on a person’s birth certificate’ is inherently flawed and potentially harmful to a group of children that we care for in our pediatric practices," the petition said.

The endocrinologists, who consider themselves experts in the field of chromosomes and genital anatomy, said that they have provided services to babies who cannot be assigned a sex at birth for medical reasons.

The doctors explain that, in some cases, babies are born with chromosomes that suggest a sex that does not match the child’s physical anatomy. The discrepancy can be caused by biological issues, including chromosome abnormalities, abnormalities in anatomic development, environmental exposure during pregnancy, genetic mutations and tumors that produce sex hormones, they said.

The doctors state that, for children with these conditions, gender assignment takes "substantial time" and often needs to be re-evaluated months and even years later. In addition, severe hormonal imbalances at birth can result in gender assignment that may require reassignment later in life, the doctors said.

"Our patients already face major medical and social challenges, and HB2 creates unnecessary hardship for these vulnerable youth," the petition said. "We respectfully ask you to repeal this hurtful bill."

On Monday, the American Association of Pediatrics, which represents 2,000 pediatric care professionals in North Carolina, joined in the call for a repeal of the bill, stating the law marginalizes and stigmatizes already vulnerable children and youth.

"The las can also have unintentional consequences for children born with gender-related genetic disorders, children with disabilities who may need a different sex parent to help them in the restroom, and children who find themselves homeless due to a lack of support for their gender identities," said a statement from the group.

The law, which was approved last month in a one-day special session of the legislature, has come under fire nationally because it also excludes gays and transgender people from discrimination protections and bars cities and counties from extending such protections to them. It also prohibits cities from setting their own minimum wage and eliminates the right of workers to file discrimination lawsuits against their employers in state court.

Related Topics

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.