In a move to fulfill his commitment to safeguarding American children, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive action last week aimed at preventing irreversible chemical and surgical interventions for minors under the guise of so-called “gender-affirming care.”
The decision has already prompted hospitals across the country to scale back or eliminate programs offering such treatments to minors.
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The executive action targets procedures and medications that proponents claim help minors transition to a different gender, including puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and surgical interventions. Critics, including the Trump administration, argue that these treatments can lead to irreversible harm, including sterilization and long-term health consequences.
“President Trump is delivering on his promise to protect American children from being maimed and sterilized by adults perpetuating a radical, false claim that they can somehow change a child’s sex,” the administration stated in a press release.
The policy shift has had an immediate impact, with several major hospitals announcing changes to their transgender-related services for minors:
- New York: NYU Langone Health has begun canceling appointments for minors seeking puberty-blocking medications, including two 12-year-olds scheduled to receive implants dispensing such drugs.
- Colorado: Denver Health has halted sex change surgeries for minors, while UCHealth has ended all gender-affirming care for minors.
- Virginia: VCU Health and Children’s Hospital of Richmond have suspended transgender-related medications and surgeries for minors, and UVA Health has paused all such services for minors.
- Washington, D.C.: Children’s National Hospital and Northwest Washington Hospital have paused prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapies for minors.
- Illinois: Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is reviewing its transgender-related services for minors.
- Pennsylvania: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is closely reviewing the transgender-related services it provides to minors.
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The administration’s action has reignited the national debate over the appropriateness of gender-affirming care for minors. Supporters of the executive action argue that children are too young to make life-altering decisions about their bodies, while opponents claim that such care is essential for the mental and emotional well-being of transgender youth.
President Trump’s decision aligns with his broader focus on protecting children and upholding traditional values. “Promises made, promises kept – again,” the administration declared, emphasizing the President’s commitment to his campaign pledges.
As hospitals and medical institutions adjust their policies in response to the executive action, the long-term implications for transgender youth and their access to care remain uncertain. The move is likely to face legal challenges from advocacy groups and medical organizations that support gender-affirming treatments for minors.
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For now, the Trump administration’s stance reflects a significant shift in federal policy, prioritizing the protection of children from what it describes as “radical” and “irreversible” medical interventions.
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