Catholic Church formally bans gender-affirming care at its hospitals

"The country's largest nonprofit health care provider will no longer offer gender-affirming care after Catholic bishops voted to ban the life-saving treatment in all church facilities. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops overwhelmingly approved the rule on Wednesday, which affects everything from hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries to talk therapy and other mental health services for all ages. While facilities run by the Catholic Church typically have not offered the care, the vote makes denial the official policy."

"The group praised the decision as "consistent with Catholic health care practice," but said in a statement that "Catholic providers will continue to welcome those who seek medical care from us and identify as transgender." The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the World Medical Association, and the World Health Organization all agree that gender-affirming care is evidence-based and medically necessary not just for adults, but minors as well."

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops overwhelmingly approved a rule banning gender-affirming care in church facilities, affecting hormone therapy, surgeries, talk therapy, and mental health services for all ages. More than 650 Catholic hospitals and 1,600 long-term care and other Catholic health facilities in the U.S. will be subject to the policy. The Catholic Health Association estimates Catholic providers care for about one in seven patients nationwide daily. The association called the rule "consistent with Catholic health care practice" while saying Catholic providers will continue to welcome transgender patients. Major medical organizations state that gender-affirming care is evidence-based and medically necessary for adults and minors. Nearly a dozen religious organizations condemned the decision and released a statement supporting transgender people.

Read at Advocate.com