Health

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Why experts say Trump’s budget bill strips health care from nearly all transgender people

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The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a sweeping Republican-led budget reconciliation package — dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill” by President Donald Trump and the bill’s proponents — that, if enacted, would decimate access to gender-affirming care for transgender people of all ages across the country. More than a tax bill, the legislation, passed 215-214 in the early morning hours Thursday, couples tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy with profound structural changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, including provisions that would strip transgender people of access to transition-related care — even when privately insured. It’s a vision of health policy that experts told The Advocate weaponizes bureaucracy and budgetary authority to target one […]

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Nation’s largest pediatric group slams Trump’s “inaccurate” anti-trans health report

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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the largest U.S. professional association of pediatricians (representing an estimated 67,000 members), has condemned a report opposing gender-affirming care recently released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As such, the AAP has directed its pediatric healthcare providers to “continue to support pediatricians and the well-being of all children” by continuing to provide gender-affirming care to youth as endorsed by almost all major U.S. medical associations.  “This report misrepresents the current medical consensus and fails to reflect the realities of pediatric care,” said AAP President, Dr. Susan J. Kressly, M.D., in a statement. “AAP was […]

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President’s 2026 budget proposal could have harsh effects on LGBTQ+ people

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The White House’s recently released 2026 budget proposal, sent to Congress last Friday, includes steep cuts to healthcare programs within the CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). These programs include research into LGBTQ+ communities and HIV prevention initiatives. The 40-page document was sent out by Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to be reviewed by Congress. The president has vowed to reduce wasteful government spending and waste during his second term. Despite this, his proposed budget appears to relinquish funding from public health programs that help citizens, while also increasing our nation’s military budget by 13% (which many argue […]

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Southern US states are ‘facing a sexual health crisis’

Southern states in the US are “facing a sexual health crisis”, according to a new study.  The study compared sexual health resources, STD prevalence, reproductive outcomes, abortion policy and reproductive rights by state. A recent study by adult store Lion’s Den analysed and ranked US states based on their sexual risk factors, identifying “where residents may face higher dangers related to sexual activity and highlighting regional disparities in sexual safety across America”. It’s a timely study, given that relationship experts previously predicted the “politicisation of sex” prior to President Trump’s inauguration.  The riskiest state to have sex is Louisiana, according to the study, with the highest […]

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Tennessee passes law allowing doctors to deny care if it violates their morals

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This week, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed legislation allowing healthcare professionals in the state to deny care to patients if it conflicts with the providers’ personal morals, ethics, or religious beliefs. That includes the use of pronouns in a medical setting. The new law, which applies to doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and insurance companies, went into effect with the governor’s signature. The legislation’s Republican sponsor is a physician who cited the threat of “moral injury” posed to healthcare professionals who may not share their patients’ personal or religious beliefs. “Patients and providers have rights. Providers should not give up their rights to best serve […]

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Trump HHS posts ‘so-called report’ pushing conversion therapy for trans kids

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The Trump administration escalated its assault on transgender youth Thursday with the release of a controversial new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that promotes conversion therapy and discredits gender-affirming care. Advocates and experts have said the report is filled with misinformation about both.  Commissioned under President Donald Trump’s January Executive Order 14187, the 409-page report falsely claims medical transition is harmful and unproven, and promotes “exploratory therapy”—a rebranded version of conversion practices widely condemned by major medical associations. The order directed HHS to attack WPATH’s standards of care, revoke federal funding for transition-related treatments, and reshape public health policy to align with […]

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Her partner of 45 years developed Alzheimer’s. She’s sharing their story to ‘take away fear’

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Janice Goldberg still remembers the first moment she laid eyes on her partner Sue. It was over 45 years ago in the small beach town of Ocean City, Maryland. Janice had gotten a job waiting tables at an upscale restaurant after spending the first part of her summer in Europe. She wasn’t quite sure what the future had in store for her – then “there she was.” Sue, who lived in Florida at the time, had travelled up the coast to spend the summer in Ocean City with her then-boyfriend. The two decided one day to treat themselves to a meal at a […]

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Economic insecurity linked to LGBTQ+ youth mental health issues: Trevor Project report

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t’s well documented that LGBTQ+ young people are at greater risk of mental health problems and suicidal ideation or attempts than their straight and cisgender peers. Now a new research brief from the Trevor Project shows how economic insecurity correlates with that. Food insecurity, being unhoused, and being unable to meet basic economic needs were all associated with increased odds of mental health issues, according to the brief, “The Impact of Houselessness and Food Insecurity on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People,” released Wednesday. It draws on data from the Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. “Overall, economic insecurity […]

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DOJ will investigate doctors who provide trans care to minors, attorney general says

Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo this week seeking to further curtail access to transgender health care for minors. In the memo, Bondi said the Justice Department will use a variety of existing U.S. laws to investigate providers of such care, as well as drug manufacturers and distributors.  She directed U.S. attorneys to use laws against female genital mutilation to investigate doctors who “mutilate” children “under the guise of care” and to prosecute these “offenses to the fullest extent possible.”  “I am putting medical practitioners, hospitals, and clinics on notice: In the United States, it is a felony to perform, attempt […]

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Planned Parenthood resumes gender-affirming care after patient backlash

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Planned Parenthood’s Arizona branch will resume providing gender-affirming healthcare to transgender patients. The chapter had previously paused the treatments in response to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sending out a memo warning federally funded healthcare institutions against providing gender-affirming care. The Arizona branch faced public pressure after news publications began reporting on its decision to end trans-related healthcare. Patients receiving gender treatment at the branch told news outlets they had received voicemails late on Friday, April 11, informing them that their upcoming appointments were being cancelled. One of these patients, a 23-year-old trans woman from Mesa, Arizona, […]

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