VCU Health system halts gender-affirming care for youth
VCU Health became the first public health system to comply with an executive order from President Donald Trump ordering gender-affirming care for people under 19 years old to be discontinued. Photo by Maggie Root.
Molly Manning, Contributing Writer
VCU Health and the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU suspended gender-affirming medication and surgical procedures for patients under 19 years old on Jan. 30, according to the Children’s Hospital.
This comes following a memo from Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares to the VCU and University of Virginia health systems calling for all medical institutions that receive federal grants to end gender-affirming surgeries and medications for children or they risk losing federal funding, according to ABC 8 News.
The memo is in compliance with the executive order on Jan. 28 from President Donald Trump titled “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation.”
The “chemical and surgical mutilation” in the title is defined as the use of puberty blockers, sex hormones and surgical procedures that attempt to transform an individual’s physical appearance to align with a different identity or that attempt to alter or remove sexual organs, according to the order.
The Children’s Hospital added a gender-affirming care FAQ as of Feb.1, including sections about previously scheduled appointments and other available options. The webpage also lists care options available within gender-affirming care, including medical evaluation, mental health care and educational materials.
The UVA Health Children’s Hospital also posted a similar statement about their suspension of gender-affirming care for patients under 19 years old on their Transgender Youth Health webpage.
More than 300,000 adolescents in the United States ages 13-17 years old identify as transgender or gender diverse, according to JAMA Pediatrics.
Gender-affirming care can be life-saving, according to a 2023 study from the American Medical Association that found transgender adults who had access to puberty-delaying medications during adolescence had lower suicidal ideations throughout their lives than those who did not.
Several families and civil rights organizations such as Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, have filed a lawsuit over the executive order, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
The family of one of the plaintiffs in the case, 17-year-old Willow Chapman, moved to Richmond specifically to seek gender-affirming care for her following a ban in their home state but her appointment was canceled following the executive order, according to ABC 8.
Community members participated in a protest organized by All the Saints Theater Company on Feb. 10. Marchers carried signs, flags and noisemakers bearing statements including “Denying trans care denies trans lives” as they walked down Broad Street to VCU Health. The “Solidarity Trans Youth March” was meant to show solidarity for those directly impacted by the suspension of transgender healthcare for those under 19 years old.
