The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has directed health care providers and state boards to update treatment guidelines to reflect the Trump administration’s review of minors with gender dysphoria.
Due to the report’s findings, the agency expects the letter recipients to “make the necessary updates to your treatment protocols and trainings for care for children and adolescents with gender dysphoria to protect them from these harmful interventions.”
“Health care risk managers should take note that a recent systematic review of international guideline quality did not recommend either the [World Professional Association for Transgender Health] or the Endocrine Society guidelines for clinical use after determining they ‘lack developmental rigour and transparency,'” the letter adds, emphasizing that such findings rooted in “gender-affirming” care “should not be relied upon to harm children any further.”
The letter goes on to list the numerous health concerns posed by puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries, later adding that the agency’s review aligns with similar findings in Sweden, Finland, and England.
The agency may soon take action to hold providers accountable for the safety of children, the letter warns. “HHS may soon undertake new policies and oversight actions, consistent with applicable law, to ensure the protection of children, and to hold providers that harm children accountable.”
The agency’s 409-page report discussed in the letter highlights the “very-low quality” evidence used for treatment approaches in gender medicine for minors.
“A central theme of this Review is that many U.S. medical professionals and associations have fallen short of their duty to prioritize the health interests of young patients,” the report says, adding, “While no clinician or medical association intends to fail their patients—particularly those who are most vulnerable—the preceding chapters demonstrate that this is precisely what has occurred.”
