Washington DC - US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday to restrict gender transition procedures for people under the age of 19, in his latest move targeting transgender people since returning to office.

The order comes the week after Trump said in his inauguration speech that his government would only recognize two genders, male and female, plugging into an issue at the heart of America's culture wars.

"Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children," said the order.

"This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation's history, and it must end."

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Trump's order said it would now be US policy that it would "not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called 'transition' of a child from one sex to another."

These included what he called "chemical and surgical mutilation" – including puberty blockers, hormones, and gender-altering surgery.

He added that the government would now "rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures."

While there is no US-wide law against gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender youth, Trump ordered an end to any federal backing for such procedures.

This includes barring funding for gender transitions under the Medicaid health insurance program for poor families, the Medicare scheme used by retirees, and under US Defense Department health insurance that covers some 2 million children.

Trump said he would also work with Congress to draft legislation to allow children and parents to sue doctors who had carried out gender surgery.

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Trump told the Davos forum last week that gender surgery "will occur very rarely" under his administration.

Two dozen Republican-led states have already enacted laws restricting medical care for gender transitions for minors.

US Supreme Court justices clashed over the issue in December as they debated a Tennessee law banning puberty blockers or hormone therapy for those under the age of 18.