HHS Demands Medical Groups Define Stance on Gender Treatments for Minors

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gave six influential medical organizations 10 business days to state their written positions on gender-related medical treatments for minors. The demand was described as a final request, asking each group to identify planned changes and provide a timeline for them. The letters were sent to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the Endocrine Society, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

While the letters do not change laws or insurance rules directly, the guidelines these organizations write shape the care offered by pediatricians, endocrinologists, and therapists across the country. HHS refers to these treatments as "sex-rejecting procedures," while the medical groups describe them as "gender-affirming care."

Three major professional organizations—the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics—have recently released statements regarding how medicine should respond to ideological influences.