UVA hospital ends gender medical treatments for new patients as young as 11 after Trump order
The University of Virginia Health Hospital has made the decision to cease providing transgender treatments to new patients as young as 11 years old. This move comes in response to a recent executive order from President Donald Trump, which threatened to withhold federal funding from institutions offering such services to minors.
The medical center, which is affiliated with the University of Virginia (UVA), has been offering transgender medical care to individuals aged 11 to 25. This included providing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children, as well as other gender-affirming treatments. However, in order to comply with the White House’s directive, the Board of Visitors passed a resolution to discontinue these services for new patients.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin expressed his support for the decision, stating that “common sense and medical ethics have prevailed.” He also commended the Board of Visitors for taking action to end what he deemed as harmful treatments for minors. Moving forward, the hospital will refer transgender individuals seeking medical care to alternative private healthcare providers.
The executive order signed by President Trump in January aimed to restrict “chemical and surgical” sex-change procedures for minors. The order also threatened to cut off federal funding to institutions providing such treatments. The UVA Hospital, which currently receives over $100 million in federal funding annually from the National Institute of Health, cited the potential loss of funding as a risk to the financial stability of the University.
In light of these developments, the UVA School of Medicine reported a funding increase from $155.1 million in 2022 to $174.2 million in 2023. This information was sourced from the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. The hospital’s decision to discontinue transgender treatments for minors reflects a broader shift in policy in response to federal mandates.
As the University of Virginia Health Hospital transitions away from providing these services, individuals in need of transgender medical care will need to seek treatment from other healthcare providers. This decision underscores the complex intersection of medical ethics, federal policy, and financial considerations in the provision of healthcare services for transgender individuals.
