President Donald Trump signed a broad executive order targeting transition-related medical care for minors on Tuesday. The order, titled “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” aims to limit access to gender-affirming medical care for minors under 19 years old. It restricts federal funding from covering such care, limits research and education grants to medical institutions, and instructs the secretary of Health and Human Services to create regulations to cease such care for minors.
The executive order also mandates federal agencies to revoke guidance from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), a nonprofit organization that provides guidance on transgender medical care widely used by healthcare professionals. The order criticizes the medical interventions for children, claiming that they lead to regret, lifelong complications, and sterilization.
Lambda Legal, an LGBTQ legal advocacy group, expressed opposition to the executive order, stating that it causes unnecessary suffering for transgender youth and denies them access to essential healthcare. The order does not explicitly prohibit puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or similar surgeries for non-transgender minors.
Transition-related care for minors has been a contentious issue, with 26 states passing laws restricting such care. However, research indicates that only a small percentage of adolescents receive this type of care. Medical standards recommend therapy and social transition before puberty and may include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgeries for older teens with persistent gender dysphoria.
Major medical associations support access to transition care for minors and oppose restrictions on it. Trump’s executive order criticizes WPATH, questioning its scientific integrity and calling for a review of best practices for minors with gender dysphoria. Studies have shown that transition-related care improves mental health and reduces suicide rates among minors, although some countries have imposed restrictions based on varying evidence.
