INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said he's seeking answers from several medical facilities about possible "sterilization" procedures as part of a gender transition.
Rokita sent a letter to six medical providers, asking administrators to provide answers to a series of questions, including if they have performed surgeries on minors or prescribed them cross-sex hormones.
In the letter, Rokita also asks if the institution requires parental consent before initiating treatment.
The organizations the attorney general's office said it is concerned may be providing sex change procedures includes Eskenazi Hospital, IU Ball Memorial Hospital, IU School of Medicine, all Planned Parenthood centers in Indiana and Riley Hospital for Children, as well as Mosaic Health in Goshen.
Rokita's letter comes as lawmakers are trying to pass a ban on gender-affirming treatment on minors in Indiana.
The American Civil Liberties Union responded with a statement, saying the clinics provide necessary care to their patients and have no greater obligation to answer the questions. They went on to say they are concerned about the gender-affirming bill's restrictions and called Rokita's letter an attempt to validate the "discriminatory legislation."
IU Health Riley and IU Health Ball Memorial hospitals also issued a statement:
"IU Health has received the letter from the Office of Attorney General for the State of Indiana.
"The gender health program provides care by licensed medical, psychology and social work professionals and is designed to support the medical and emotional needs of our patients and their families. The program follows evidence-based guidelines. Each patient’s care plan is designed to address the patient’s individual needs with parent/guardian involvement and requires consent at every stage. Our standard of practice is not to conduct gender-affirming care surgeries on anyone under the age of 18."