Texas AG Presses A Georgia Clinic For Medical Records Of Texas Trans Youth
This is the second time Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is requesting private records of Texas transgender children who received gender care in another state, the Texas Tribune says. Also in the news: The VA hasn't lived up to its gender care promises; religious trauma in LGBTQ+ Americans; and more.
The Texas Tribune:
Texas Asks Georgia Clinic For Transgender Youths’ Records
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is requesting medical records of Texas youth who have received gender-affirming care from a Georgia telehealth clinic, marking at least the second time he’s sought such records from providers in another state. (Rubin, 1/26)
Fox News:
Maine Lawmakers Kill Bill On Gender Health Care Accused Of Trampling Parents Rights
Republicans and Democrats on Maine’s judiciary committee voted to kill a bill Thursday that would have allowed minors to travel from out of state to Maine to obtain gender-altering medical procedures and even take custody of minors in "emergency" situations. Republicans called bill LD 1375 – or "An act to safeguard gender-affirming health care" – "dangerous," while the Democrats who originally supported it admitted the language of the bill needed reworking, according to a report by local outlet CBS-WGME. (Hays, 1/26)
American Homefront Project:
A New Lawsuit Says The VA Has Failed To Live Up To Its Promises About Gender-Affirming Care
Natalie Kastner has wanted gender-affirming surgery since she was 16 years old. “I fell into the trap where I thought like a lot of people do, that this is a phase,” the former Army engineer said about the gender dysphoria that’s she's experienced for years. “I fell into that trap, and, boy, did that hit me after I left the Army.” Now a disabled veteran living in Texas, Kastner said the Department of Veterans Affairs won’t perform the operation, and she would have to leave the state to get it privately. Two years ago, she said, she severed an artery when she attempted to cut off her genitals in her own bathroom. (D'lorio, 1/26)
NBC News:
Millions Of LGBTQ Americans Have Religious Trauma. Psychiatrists Want To Help
One in 3 adults in the United States who have suffered from religious trauma at some point in their life, according to a 2023 study. ... Religious trauma occurs when an individual’s religious upbringing has lasting adverse effects on their physical, mental or emotional well-being, according to the Religious Trauma Institute. Symptoms can include guilt, shame, loss of trust and loss of meaning in life. While religious trauma hasn’t officially been classified as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), there is debate among psychiatrists about whether that should change. (Macnaughton, 1/28)
In other health care news from across the U.S. —
CBS News:
Minnesota Newborns Will Now Be Screened For Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
The Minnesota Department of Health on Friday announced that it will add Duchenne muscular dystrophy to the list of conditions for which Minnesota newborns are typically screened. DMD is the most common form of muscular dystrophy. The condition is usually not diagnosed until age 5, at which point skeletal muscles are already damaged and there are limited options for treatments, MDH says.It is typically found in boys, though females can be genetic carriers. The life expectancy for men with DMD is around 20 years of age. (1/26)
The Washington Post:
Va. Lawmakers Begin To Tackle Weed Sales Three Years After Legalization
Three years after Virginia lawmakers voted to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults, the General Assembly is finally moving ahead with efforts to create a marketplace for the manufacture and sale of recreational cannabis. There’s a long way to go. And even supporters don’t agree on an approach — or know whether Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) will go along. (Vozzella and Schneider, 1/28)
CBS News:
Report Reveals Fewer Beds And More Pressure On Colorado's State Mental Health System
A report by a national nonprofit shows Colorado ranks near the bottom when it comes to available beds for psychiatric care. "The number of state psychiatric hospital beds for adults with severe mental illness has continued to decline to a historic low of 36,150, or 10.8 per 100,000 population in 2023," says the Treatment Advocacy Center, a Virginia based nonprofit. Colorado's numbers are even lower than the national average with 83 beds per 100,000 people. There were 543 beds in 2016 and last year there were 482. (Gionet, 1/26)
Stateline:
More States Offer Health Care Coverage For Certain Immigrants, Noncitizens
Gabriel Henao fled Colombia to escape a guerrilla group who, he said, twice threatened to kill him. After some time in Mexico, he arrived in Colorado in July 2022, settling in Fort Collins. ... Colorado did not offer Medicaid coverage to residents living in the country without legal status such as Henao ... that changed at the beginning of this month, when Henao received care through Colorado’s OmniSalud program, which provides health care coverage to low-income immigrants in the country without documentation. (Hassanein, 1/26)
AP:
Millions Of Americans Are Increasingly Turning To Community Health Centers For Care, And Even Food
Elisa Reyes has come to Plaza del Sol Family Health Center for doctor’s appointments for more than a decade. Though she moved away a while ago, the 33-year-old keeps returning, even if it means a two-hour roundtrip bus ride. That’s because her two children see the same doctor she does. Because when she’s sick, she can walk in without an appointment. Because the staff at the Queens clinic helped her apply for health insurance and food stamps. (Shastri, 1/27)
