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Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s transgender clinic in Nashville has temporarily suspended gender-affirmation surgeries for patients under the age of 18, the center’s top executive told The Tennessee Lawyer on Friday.
Republican Tennessee State Representative Jason Zachary – who has called for VUMC to permanently end genital surgeries on minors – Letter It was received on Twitter from VUMC’s Chief Health System Officer, Dr. C. Wright Pinson.
In the letter, Pinson informed lawmakers that the nonprofit hospital had “stopped” its review of “new recommendations” for gender-affirming surgeries on patients under 18.
The move came after pressure from Tennessee Republican leaders who sent a letter to the hospital last week. Asking Vanderbilt Medical has stopped all gender reassignment surgeries on minors.
Uses gender-affirming care A versatile approach To help a person transition from their assigned gender – the one the person was assigned at birth – to the gender that the person wants to identify as.
Pinson said the ban was prompted by a review of new guidelines for treating transgender patients issued by the International Association of Transgender Health Professionals, and the review “could take several months,” according to the letter.
A VUMC spokesperson confirmed to CNN Friday that the letter was legitimate, but declined to comment further on the clinic’s new policy.
Pinson’s letter said the Transgender Health Clinic, established in 2018, has provided surgical services to an average of five minors a year. In all those cases, the patients were at least 16, had parental consent and “none of them received genital procedures,” the executive said.
Restrictions on gender confirmation procedures for minors have become a controversial political issue in some states. Texasamid an ongoing legal battle over whether parents who consent to the custody of their children can be investigated for “child abuse.”
Major medical associations – incl American Medical Association – Agree that gender-affirming care is clinically appropriate for children and adults Gender dysphoriaAccording to the American Psychiatric Association, it is psychological distress that occurs when a person’s gender identity and the sex assigned at birth do not match.
Last year, the Tennessee state legislature passed a law banning hormone therapy for minors, and Republican lawmakers are debating whether to pass additional restrictions next year.
The ACLU of Tennessee issued a statement last month condemning lawmakers’ plans for more bans.
“Parents, patients and medical professionals, not politicians, must decide what’s best for any young person,” said Tennessee Executive Director Cathy Sinback. press release. “Medical and mental health care for transgender individuals is guided by evidence-based clinical guidelines, as well as existing state law governing health care for transgender people. Efforts to limit access to health care for transgender people are a broad government burden, and the ACLU-TN advocates for parents and families to seek gender-affirming care individually.” It is ready to fight attacks on medical decision-making rights.
A letter from VUMC’s executive director acknowledged the possibility of new legal restrictions on gender-affirming care, which the facility said it complies with Tennessee law.
“We recognize that this issue may come up in the next legislative session in the General Assembly. As always, we will ensure that VUMC programs meet any new requirements that may be established as part of Tennessee law,” Pinson said.
The letter went on to say that VUMC’s policies “allow employees to request accommodations to be excused from participating in surgeries or procedures that they believe would be unethical.” In a tweet, Zachary described the statement as his pledge to “respect religious opponents.”
State House Republican Leader William Lambert called VUMC’s decision a “victory.”
“This is a victory for the safety of our children, but we are determined to make sure this never happens again in Tennessee,” Lamberts said. He tweeted..
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