The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under President Donald Trump released a 409-page report Thursday encouraging behavioral therapy as the preferred approach for treating minors with gender dysphoria, rather than medical procedures like hormone treatments or surgeries.
The report follows a January executive order that restricts federal support for gender-transition treatments for anyone under 19. It questions widely accepted medical guidelines and calls for greater scientific scrutiny of procedures that it describes as irreversible and unproven in children.
The administration emphasized a need to “protect children from experimental interventions” and noted that long-term impacts of medical transition in youth are not fully understood. NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said, “We must follow the gold standard of science, not activist agendas.”
Key points:
- The HHS report calls for more mental health support and less reliance on medical intervention for transgender minors.
- It challenges guidance from major medical associations that support gender-affirming care.
- The report does not make policy recommendations but signals a shift in federal perspective.
- Critics argue it downplays the benefits of medical treatment and could stigmatize transgender individuals.
Although the report is not binding clinical policy, it could influence ongoing legal and healthcare debates. Courts are currently reviewing the constitutionality of various state-level bans on gender-affirming care for minors.
