"The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced an investigation that may simply be an attempt to prevent access to gender-affirming care. The investigation targets the specter of health care professionals being pressured to provide care that might be against their moral or religious views, but experts suggest that it is really about creating an atmosphere of fear around offering gender-affirming care and abortion care."
"The OCR press release from Tuesday reveals a "major investigation" into the health department of a state that is not named in the announcement. The OCR suggested that its "licensing policies, interpretations, or enforcement practices" regarding behavioral health might violate federal law by discriminating against providers who refuse to provide certain types of care or by requiring them to provide that care. "Behavioral health" refers to mental health, substance abuse, and associated conditions and symptoms."
"In particular, the investigation targets "sex-rejecting procedures," "female genital mutilation," and abortion. Both "sex-rejecting procedures" and "female genital mutilation" seem to be intended to target gender affirming care with inaccurate and derogatory terms. The Department of Justice, this year, said that it would try to prosecute doctors who provide gender-affirming care under a law that bans female genital mutilation. It is important to note that the presidential administration has not shown any interest in addressing the nonconsensual surgeries conducted on intersex children."
The Office of Civil Rights for the Department of Health and Human Services opened a major investigation into an unnamed state health department's behavioral health licensing policies, interpretations, and enforcement practices. The probe examines whether such practices discriminate against providers who refuse to provide certain care or require them to provide it. The inquiry singles out "sex-rejecting procedures," "female genital mutilation," and abortion, terminology that frames gender-affirming care inaccurately and derogatorily. The Department of Justice has pursued prosecutions of gender-affirming providers under an FGM statute. The presidential administration has not acted on nonconsensual surgeries performed on intersex children. Experts warn the investigation may chill provision of gender-affirming and abortion care.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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