Authors

Katherine T. Litaker

Growing Pains: An Arkansas Case Study on Adolescent Autonomy and Access to Puberty Blockers for Gender-Affirming Care

Abstract

Arkansas Act 626 outlaws any gender-affirming medical treatment for persons under eighteen years of age. This Note focuses on the evolving litigation surrounding Arkansas Act 626, the potential repercussions of the issues facing transgender adolescents, and the legal protections that may be implemented whether or not Arkansas Act 626 is upheld as a constitutional piece of legislation. It begins by examining the standard bases for administering puberty blocker treatments and addressing many of the misconceptions in medical treatment that have influenced the shaping of legislation on transgender healthcare. The Note discusses the current legal barricades for adolescents trying to access puberty blockers and then proceeds to suggest alternative routes to puberty blocker access should Arkansas Act 626 be upheld or even denied. Overall, the Note chooses to highlight how the personhood and dignity of transgender minors is on the line, and how decision-making autonomy should be afforded to minors in making decisions regarding the trajectory of the bodies they must inhabit.

Repository Citation

Katherine T. Litaker, Growing Pains: An Arkansas Case Study on Adolescent Autonomy and Access to Puberty Blockers for Gender-Affirming Care, 30 Wm. & Mary J. Race, Gender, & Soc. Just. 357 (2024), https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmjowl/vol30/iss2/5