VA to end cross-sex hormone therapy for transgender veterans

WASHINGTON (KRDO) - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says they will stop offering "cross-sex hormone therapy" for transgender veterans.

The move comes after President Donald Trump signed a Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government executive order.

In a release, the VA emphasized that transgender veterans are still welcome at all VAs for medical care. However, "if Veterans want to attempt to change their sex, they can do so on their own dime," said VA Secretary Doug Collins in a release.

"Veterans Health Administration estimates indicate that less than one-tenth of one percent of the 9.1 million Veterans enrolled in VA health care are trans-identified," read the release.

The VA says that they have also worked to ensure that facilities with private spaces like bathrooms, locker rooms, or patient rooms are designated as male or female spaces. Other single stalls are designated as uni-sex.

While the VA said they will stop offering "cross-sex hormone therapy" to transgender patients, they added that exceptions could be made for veterans who have already been receiving the care.

The VA also clarified that while they have offered hormone therapy in the past, they have never provided sex-change surgeries.