The military refers patients seeking procedures to the private sector.
The U.S. Department of Defense said in a new memorandum it has stopped medical procedures and procedures for military personnel identified as transgender and other personnel with gender discomfort (GD).
“Apart from consulting on GD diagnosis and mental health care and providing counseling… staff will refer all other GD care (e.g., cross-sex hormone therapy) to the private sector.”
The Department of Defense did not return a request for comment by publication time.
Gender discomfort refers to when a person believes that they are different from their own gender.
After taking office in January, President Donald Trump said, “Expressing false “gender identity” from an individual’s gender cannot meet the strict standards required for military service.”
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Ferrara said in a new memo sent to the Defense Health Agency director and deputy secretaries of the Army, Navy and Air Force, it is offering new guidance in light of the Supreme Court decision.
This includes emphasizing that military doctors will not perform surgeries to help transition into gender, such as breast removal.
Ferrara also said that all unscheduled, scheduled and planned surgical procedures “related to the promotion of sexual assignments for service members diagnosed with GD” have been cancelled, as well as previously approved surgical exemptions. Ferrara said his office will accept exemption requests for care that are deemed medically necessary to address surgical complications.
The military allows healthcare providers to continue receiving the military with gender discomfort that is receiving the cross-sex hormone until it is isolated if they recommend that route “to prevent further complications.”
However, the Department of Defense will no longer pay for the newly launched crosshormones, as ordered by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses, according to the memo.
