Advocate Health is pulling back on its gender-affirming care for minors, joining a growing list of hospital systems in Illinois and across the country cutting the services amid threats to their federal funding.

Advocate Health has “revised our policy to no longer provide or prescribe gender-affirming care medications for patients under age 19,” Advocate said in a statement.

“We recognize that this is a deeply complex issue, and this decision was made after a multi-disciplinary team spent numerous hours carefully considering the options and outcomes,” Advocate said. “This new policy allows our hospitals, clinics and pharmacies to continue caring for all patients’ health needs in the changing federal environment.”

Advocate Health has 69 hospitals across six states, including Illinois. The

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