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() — Medical officials at the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital announced Monday they would no longer prescribe cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers to patients under the age of 18.
“We are disheartened to have to take this step,” the officials said in a statement.
Hospital officials pointed to a new law in Missouri that sharply curtails the use of transition-related medical treatments among minors.
“This legal claim creates unsustainable liability for health-care professionals and makes it untenable for us to continue to provide comprehensive transgender care for minor patients without subjecting the university and our providers to an unacceptable level of liability,” the statement read.
The St. Louis facility came under scrutiny earlier this year after an ex-employee alleged the treatments were being rushed and there was little oversight.
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“Young people who had top surgery called three months later and said they want their breasts put back on,” that employee, Jamie Reed, told in April.
After Reed’s complaints, the hospital did an internal review where it found no misconduct.
In June, a new law was passed in Missouri that restricted transition-related procedures for minors and some adults.
That law went into effect last month, prompting the St. Louis hospital to comply. Washington University, however, will continue to provide transition-related services to adults.
