After six months of gender-affirming care and a first puberty blocker shot for her 10-year-old son in September, Julie noticed him carrying himself differently. His back was straight, he was no longer hiding his body, and he was confident with eye contact.

But last Friday, the East Bay parent received a call and an email from a Sutter Health caregiver that she’s afraid to tell her son about. She asked KQED to use only her first name because she is afraid of retribution against her and her son’s caregiver.

The day prior, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, hospital higher-ups informed Julie’s son’s caregiver that they would no longer offer gender-affirming care to patients younger than 19. That care could stop as soon as Dec. 10, they said, according to the caregiver’s messages.

That

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