Washington, DC – The National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) is very concerned that the Trump Administration has revoked federal guidelines outlining protections for transgender students under Title IX anti-discrimination statutes.

We know that all young people thrive in communities that respect who they are and who they hope to be.  Schools have a responsibility to facilitate a safe environment in which students can learn, develop, and succeed.  When we risk rejecting transgender students’ identities through federal actions like these, they are much more likely to stop going to school entirely.  Rejection of LGBT youth on personal and systemic levels is also shown to increase risk for HIV and STDs, substance use, and suicide ideation.

This is not just about transgender students; rescinding the previous guidance that protected transgender students facilitates a hostile environment for anybody who is perceived as “different”—including transgender and gender-nonconforming students, but also lesbian, gay or bisexual students– who currently experience risk behaviors at higher rates than their peers.

We should be doing everything in our power to ensure that all youth at disproportionate risk feel supported in schools and communities, to improve academic success and overall health and well-being. We recognize health equity as a critical tenet of the STD prevention field, and stand with our health department and education members in navigating how best to support transgender and gender-nonconforming youth.

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The National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) advocates for state, local, and territorial health department STD directors, their staff, and community-based partners.  For more information, or to connect with an NCSD member, visit NCSDDC.org.