Several hospitals pause gender-affirming care to evaluate Trumps executive order

Hospitals in Colorado, Virginia, and the nation’s capital said Thursday they have paused gender-affirming care for young people as they evaluate President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at cutting federal support for such care.Denver Health in Colorado has stopped providing gender-affirming surgeries for people under age 19, a spokesperson confirmed Thursday, in order to comply with the executive order and continue receiving federal funding.It is unclear whether the hospital will continue providing other gender-affirming care for youth, including hormone therapy and puberty blockers.In Virginia, VCU Health and Children’s Hospital of Richmond said they have suspended gender-affirming medication and gender-affirming surgical procedures for those under 19 years old.In Washington, D.C., Children’s National Hospital said the hospital had “paused prescriptions of puberty blockers and hormone therapy to comply with the directives while we assess the situation further.” The hospital already did not perform gender-affirming surgery on minors, a spokesperson said Thursday.Trump’s order, signed Tuesday, is part of a push to reverse Biden administration policies meant to protect transgender people and their care.

It ordered agencies to take steps to make sure that hospitals receiving federal research and education grants “end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”Other hospitals told The Associated Press that their current practices would continue.Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago said hospital officials are reviewing the order and “assessing any potential impact to the clinical services we offer to our patient families.”“Our team will continue to advocate for access to medically necessary care, grounded in science and compassion for the patient-families we are so privileged to serve,” the statement said.The language in Trump’s executive order — using words such as “maiming,” “sterilizing” and “mutilation” �...