Alabama transgender health care ban injunction reversed by court

A federal appeals court has reversed an injunction against Alabama's law banning gender-affirming care for individuals under 19, allowing the ban to be enforced in the state. The law prohibits the use of puberty blockers and hormones for treating transgender children. This marks the second appellate victory against gender-affirming care restrictions. The court argued that states have a compelling interest in protecting children from drugs with uncertain benefits and irreversible effects. Medical groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, oppose such bans, stating that the treatments are safe if administered properly. Opponents of the ban criticized the ruling, calling it government overreach and an intrusion into private family decisions. Similar laws have been enacted in at least 20 other states.