The Veterans Department is monitoring medical treatments for veterans, including hormone treatment for recently diagnosed patients with sexual discomfort, VA said Monday.
The VA will continue to treat hormones for veterans who receive it today or received it when they were separated from the army. The rationale is that abrupt pause can be harmful to patient health.
The change of politics was made to comply with a executive mandate of President Trump, entitled “Defending women from sex extremism and the restoration of biological truth to the federal government,” VA said in a press release.
This command states that the United States recognizes only two sexes, males and females, which are “not variable”.
“I mean no lack of respect for anyone, but VA should not focus on providing veterans to try to change their sex,” said Doug Collins, secretary of VA.
Veterans of transsexuals will continue to be welcomed in VA, he added: “But if veterans want to try to change their gender, they can do so with their own penny.”
VA has been treatment for gender transition to veterans since 2011. It has never provided surgery, but has offered support services. In addition to hormonal therapy, these include mental health care, preoperative evaluations and letters that support the need for procedures, as well as postoperative and long -term care.
Fertility services, prosthetic devices such as wigs and voice training were also offered. These services had been authorized under the VA Directive on the guidance of healthcare for transgender and intersex veterans are known as 1341 (4), which has been canceled.
Many mental health providers at VA had concerns about their ability to continue to provide adequate care to transsexual patients, as they were ordered to remove the flags and rituals of the rainbow, the leaflets that describe the services offered by have served. ”
Mary Brinkmeyer, a psychologist who coordinates the care of veterans LGBTQ+ at the Hampton Va Medical Center in Virginia, refused to remove signs and leaflets. He recently resigned, fearing that mental health care for transsexual veterans would be at stake.
“Our Code of Conduct is” first you do not do harm “and if you are fishing between an institutional demand and your ethical code, you must resolve it in favor of the Code of Conduct,” said Dr. Brinkmeyer.
The cessation of hormone therapy, along with the recent name of VA baths and biological internal patients ‘rooms, “will have a real cold effect on veterans’ willingness to seek care for gender discomfort,” he said.
Studies indicate that gender discomfort is much higher among veterans than between the general population and that the risk of suicide -related events is up to 20 times higher in gender discomfort than in the general health service population.
“If veterans have no other health insurance – and many transsexual veterans are homeless or underemployed – will they not seek care if they are suicidal rather than going to VA?” Dr. Brinkmeyer asked.
