WA Association of Family Physicians Takes Position to Oppose Let’s Go WA Ballot Measures IL26-638 and IL26-001 Joins WSNA and More than 130 Doctors and Medical…
Washington Academy of Family Physicians (WAFP), the largest medical specialty organization in Washington state, representing approximately 3,900 family physicians, residents, and students has taken a position to oppose two Let’s Go Washington-sponsored ballot initiatives (IL26-001 and IL26-638).
WAFP joins the Washington State Nurses Association and more than 130 family physicians, pediatricians, and other medical care providers in Washington state who signed a strong statement opposing the measures.
Family physicians have warned voters against both initiatives to reporters, in columns, and letters to the editor:
Dr. Maddie Gore, family physician, said: “I-638 would force tens of thousands of young girls to undergo unnecessary genital exams just to play sports with their friends. In fact, all major organizations, including the AAFP, the AAP and the USPSTF, do not recommend genital exams for girls as a part of sports physicals. Many encourage a focus specifically on cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and neurologic health. From a medical, safety and developmental perspective, I-638 is unnecessary, not backed by clinical guidelines, and would create unwarranted stress and harm for young girls.”
Dr. Ken Glover, family physician, said: “The pelvic exam proposal is especially perverse. All major organizations (ACOG, AAFP, USPSTF, AMSSM) advise against routine pelvic exams for asymptomatic adolescent females. The USPSTF goes as far as to say that harms caused by these unnecessary exams include “the psychological harms, pain and discomfort from the examination, and the potential for these to serve as a barrier for women to receive medical care.”
Dr. Glenna Martin, family physician, said: “[I-638] was clearly not written by somebody who practices medicine….Physicals focus on the two most important aspects of sports. .musculoskeletal health — thinking about kids’ joints, bones, muscles, and tendons — and then cardiac health, looking into their heart health and finding out if we need to screen for additional cardiac risk factors….What is certainly not medically necessary is for me to do an exam and confirm somebody’s sex, either through hormone testing, genetic testing, or a non-indicated genital exam.” A lot of colleagues have told Martin they are in a similar position and are horrified that the state may dictate how they practice medicine.” (NY Magazine)
Dr. Grace Shih, a family medicine doctor, told KUOW that “sports-readiness exams are different from annual checkups where a genital exam might occur, and that people often confuse the two. She said she wouldn’t feel comfortable using information from a kid’s annual appointments to satisfy a new section on a sports form. This would be a shift in how her practice conducts sports physicals, she said.”
Dr. Eloi Hoopman, a family practice physician said: “While most parents are loving and supportive, the reality is not all kids are safe at home. There were 117,629 reports of child abuse or neglect in Washington in 2024 alone. I-001 would require disclosure of students’ counseling, social work, and other records to abusive parents, including people charged with or under investigation for neglecting or beating their own children. I-001 will worsen the teen mental health crisis and discourage students facing domestic violence, sexual abuse or bullying from seeking help from trusted school counselors, who would be required to release students’ confidential information.”
Dr. Ken Gass, a retired pediatrician said: "Many parents will have to send their daughters to a stranger to certify their daughter’s sex because more than 150,000 school-age girls in Washington do not have access to a regular family doctor. Genetic testing may cost families hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket because those tests are generally not covered by insurance unless medically-necessary."
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