Martha Edwards, MD

Martha Edwards, MD is a pediatrician in Rock Hill, SC. She submitted this testimony opposing H3477 to the South Carolina House Special Laws Committee on Wednesday, March 3, 2021.

I am writing to urge you to vote NO on H 3477. 

I became a pediatrician to help families care for children and to support all children in their growth and development. My goal as a pediatrician is to advocate for the opportunity for all children to grow up to be the best and strongest version of themselves so that they in turn can participate fully, productively and positively in their communities. It’s rewarding to care for children without a lot of challenges, but even more so to care for those for who struggle with differences, seen and unseen. 

The latter group is prone to being targeted by policies and practices that threaten to make their challenges even more daunting.

H3477 is one of those policies. 

As I considered the consequences that a bill like this might create for the families I serve, I began to think of my very first Newborn Intensive Care Unit patient during my training. The mother was older in age and had had amniocentesis during pregnancy due to concerns about the baby’s health. They knew that the baby would be a girl so were shocked when the doctor delivered the baby by C section and yelled “it’s a boy!” In the delivery room. The baby had ambiguous genitalia, in addition to prematurity and other significant health issues. Of all the medical challenges and complications this child and this family faced, the uncertainty about her gender was by far the most challenging one. Now I wonder:  If she had lived (sadly she did not, and I still remember the heartbreak), how would this bill have affected her?  

There are so many medical curveballs and intricacies that cannot be anticipated by introducing a law such as this, and there are so many kids who just need to be allowed to be who they are. 

I also routinely integrate mental health screening and care into the care I provide for the families I serve. Rates of anxiety and depression are skyrocketing for teens in our state and have been for many years. LGBTQ children and teens are at even higher risk for suicide attempts and death by suicide than age matched peers. 

There are procedures and processes already in place to help guide coaches, athletes, and families to foster fair and equitable participation in sports. I see this law as yet another way to threaten and bully a population that struggles with unseen health battles and prevents a child from becoming her best self. 

Please vote no on H3477.