A Missouri circuit judge on Monday upheld the state’s ban on the provision of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries to minors for purposes of “gender transitions,” a law which took effect last summer and halted the procedures at some of the state’s largest clinics.

The evidence from trial showed that the medical ethics of gender dysphoria treatment for children and adolescents are entirely unsettled,’ the judge wrote.

A Missouri judge upheld the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors Monday, a victory for opponents of the practice in a continuing nationwide battle over transgender issues.

Plaintiffs were challenging the block on gender-affirming health care, ahead of a US Supreme Court case next month.

The judge also suggested that treating gender dysphoria could be a slippery slope to depriving the Missouri legislature of its ability to regulate drugs.

Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Missouri, representing the families and organizations suing to challenge the ban, plan to appeal.