Russian Duma completes passage of bill banning gender change surgery

A Russian draft law that would ban doctors from performing surgery to change people's gender was approved by the lower house of parliament on Friday in its third and final reading.

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The bill bans medical workers from "performing medical interventions designed to change the sex of a person", including prescribing hormone therapy to patients.

Bills must pass three readings in the State Duma lower house of parliament before being sent to the upper house and then to President Vladimir Putin for signing.