Vivent Health Denounces Passage of Missouri’s Ban on Gender-Affirming Care

Today’s passage of legislation by the Missouri Legislature, with the support of Governor Mike Parson, is a shameful and harmful attack on the health and well-being of transgender people in Missouri. This legislation singles out a group of people based on who they are and creates significant barriers in achieving health and equality.

Gender-affirming care for transgender individuals is safe and is based on decades of clinical experience and research. This legislation contradicts the broad consensus of medical professionals, including the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and American Academy of Pediatrics, that have overwhelmingly agreed age-appropriate gender-affirming care is safe, necessary, and life-saving.

“Make no mistake, every time individuals are stigmatized by legislation such as this, they are pushed further away from receiving the life-saving healthcare they need. People – including children with the support of their parents – who enter into gender affirming care do not do so lightly and health care professionals providing this care do so with the best interest of their patients in mind,” says Brandon Hill, Interim President and CEO of Vivent Health, a leading provider of HIV prevention, care and support. “This bill reinforces the prejudices and injustices that lead to poor health outcomes among our LGBTQ+ community, including significant heightened risk for self-harm and suicide.”