Major medical institutions in the U.S. are temporarily suspending gender-affirming operations and hormonal therapies for minors
In a dramatic shift, the United States is witnessing a wave of restrictions on transgender surgeries and related care for minors. This development follows President Donald Trump's executive order, titled "Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation," issued on January 28, 2025 [1].
The order directs federal agencies not to fund, sponsor, or support gender transition procedures for minors, including puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and surgeries for individuals under 19. The Department of Justice has since issued subpoenas to doctors and clinics involved in such procedures [1].
A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, *United States v. Skrmetti* (June 18, 2025), upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical treatments for minors. The Court ruled that the ban does not violate the Equal Protection Clause, applying a rational-basis review and clarifying that it does not constitute impermissible sex discrimination [2]. As a result, 27 states have enacted laws banning some or all forms of gender-affirming care for minors [3].
Major hospitals, including Rush Medical Center in Chicago, have paused or stopped providing gender-affirming hormone treatments and surgeries for minors following these legal changes [1]. Existing patients may continue their treatments, and adults remain eligible for care. However, this abrupt halt in care has disrupted treatment for many transgender adolescents, with families reporting interrupted access to vital medications and surgeries as litigation and policy changes continue [3].
Despite these restrictions, the medical community largely views these interventions as established, evidence-based treatments. Over 30 U.S. medical associations have endorsed gender-affirming care as evidence-based practice for transgender youth [4]. However, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released a report emphasizing psychotherapy over medical and surgical interventions for gender dysphoria in minors [4]. This stance has drawn criticism from many medical professionals who consider the government’s approach inconsistent with longstanding clinical guidelines [3][4].
The future remains uncertain, with ongoing litigation and advocacy on both sides of the issue. As the landscape evolves, it is crucial to remember that all transgender individuals should be properly supported and treated with compassion without being pressured into making life-altering medical decisions [5].
*Melissa Rudy, Senior Health Editor, Digital*
*For story tips, please contact [email protected].*
*References* [1] [Fox News] (2025, July 9). Department of Justice issues subpoenas to doctors and clinics over transgender procedures on children. Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/us/doj-issues-subpoenas-doctors-clinics-transgender-procedures-children [2] [SCOTUSblog] (2025, June 18). Opinion analysis: Skrmetti – Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors upheld. Retrieved from https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/06/opinion-analysis-skrmetti-tennessees-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-for-minors-upheld/ [3] [Human Rights Campaign] (2025, June 22). State-by-state tracker of laws impacting transgender and nonbinary youth. Retrieved from https://www.hrc.org/resources/state-by-state-tracker-of-laws-impacting-transgender-and-nonbinary-youth [4] [American Medical Association] (2025, April 15). AMA continues to oppose policies that restrict access to comprehensive, evidence-based gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Retrieved from https://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/ama-councils/council-on-science-and-public-health/ama-continues-to-oppose-policies-that-restrict-access-to-comprehensive-evidence-based-gender-affirming-care-for-transgender-youth [5] [Human Rights Campaign] (2025, May 19). HRC responds to Trump’s attack on transgender youth. Retrieved from https://www.hrc.org/news/hrc-responds-to-trumps-attack-on-transgender-youth
- The wave of restrictions on transgender surgeries and related care for minors in the United States highlights the intersection of health, politics, and policy-and-legislation.
- The medical community, advocating for established, evidence-based treatments like gender-affirming care, finds itself at odds with policies that prioritize psychotherapy over medical interventions for certain medical-conditions, such as gender dysphoria.
- Cancer and chronic-diseases are not the only health-and-wellness issues under scrutiny in the general-news today, as debates over sexual-health, mental-health, and therapies-and-treatments for transgender youth come to the forefront.
- The United States framed the debate around transgender surgeries as a matter of moral and ethical concerns, through President Donald Trump's executive order titled "Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation."
- This policy change has far-reaching implications for the mental-health and well-being of transgender adolescents whose access to vital treatments has been disrupted by this abrupt halt in care.
- The ongoing legal disputes and advocacy efforts in the United States reveal the complex connections between health issues, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice, as marginalized groups fight for their rights to adequate medical care.
- As this contentious issue unfolds, it is essential to address the overall wellness and support of all individuals, upholding the values of empathy, inclusivity, and a commitment to evidence-based therapies-and-treatments in our health and wellness discourse.
