The American department of veterans buildings in Washington, DC.
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Tierney L. Cross / Getty images
Friday, the department of veterans reversed a policy that had protected health care affirming the sexes provided to transgender veteransprovoking confusion and fear in the community.
In an internal AV service note seen by NPR on Friday, it says that it cancels Directive 1341, which contains detailed advice on the Types of care Transgender veterans can receive in the VA installations. The policy had also ordered health care providers to use the pronouns of favorite veterans and have directed installations to allow veterans to use bathrooms and to be awarded rooms in accordance with their self-identified sex.
The internal memo said that the termination of the directive “does not affect existing clinical directives” and that the VA “affirms its commitment to provide care to all veterans”.
“It’s dishonest.” said Lindsay Church, Executive Director of the Defense Group for Vétérans des Minorités de America. “Transgender veterans must now ask themselves:” Is it worth it for me to receive my care in VA? ” Am I safe to do it? What are the Discriminatory factors That I will have to face so that I can even go to the toilet? “”
The defenders weakened to cancel the directive.
While transgender people represent a small percentage of the population, research suggest that they are more likely to serve in the army.
The search for shows that veterans who are sexual minorities – including lgbtqia, non -binary, intersex and other veterans – are more likely than veterans of the average to commit suicide; This figure is higher for transgender veterans. Veterans have a higher average suicide rate than the general population.
In the internal memo, the VA also declared that it “would carry out a complete examination of care with regard to trans-identifying veterans and will undergo the regulation process to revise the package of medical benefits as needed”.
Church said that defenders of these veterans concern the next rules of the rules could mean a wholesale return to the health of transgender people in the VA.
The VA is currently offers health care, asserting sexes that include hormonal treatment, prosthetic devices, as well as tools to help transgender veterans present as the gender identity of their choice.
Although the GA does not offer surgery affirming the sexes, the canceled directive also stipulated that veterans could undergo surgeries for other medical conditions which are also affirming the sexes, such as procedures attenuating the risk of cancer.
Friday, before Directive 1341 of VA canceled, the members of the VA personnel told NPR that they had received more calls from the veterans trans compensated to trust their health care providers.
In the wake of White House Executive Decree That said, it is now the American policy of “recognizing two sexes, men and women”, the VA has deleted the references to the group on some of its websites as well as in internal documents of its health system.
The VA has not yet responded to requests for comments on the new directive.
That he law of NPR has contributed to this report