HHS Bans Gender-Altering Procedures for Minors

Trump Administration Moves to Defund Hospitals Performing Gender Transition Procedures on Minors

In a major move to protect children in America, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced this week a series of regulatory actions aimed at ending what it terms “sex-rejecting procedures” on minors. These interventions, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries, are described as causing irreversible harm such as infertility, impaired sexual function, and diminished bone density. The actions stem from President Trump’s Executive Order directing HHS to halt practices that expose youth to permanent damage.

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Trump Administration Moves to Defund Hospitals Performing Gender Transition Procedures on Minors Why This Matters Christian Perspective

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is set to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking that would prohibit hospitals from performing these procedures on children under 18 as a condition for participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs. This affects nearly all U.S. hospitals, leveraging CMS’s authority under the Social Security Act to safeguard patient health. A separate CMS proposal would block federal Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funding for such procedures on minors. Currently, 27 states already exclude Medicaid coverage for these interventions.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., signed a declaration deeming these procedures non-compliant with professional health care standards, based on a peer-reviewed HHS report. “Under my leadership, and answering President Trump’s call to action, the federal government will do everything in its power to stop unsafe, irreversible practices that put our children at risk,” Secretary Kennedy said. “This Administration will protect America’s most vulnerable. Our children deserve better—and we are delivering on that promise.”

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz echoed this sentiment: “Children deserve our protection, not experimental interventions performed on them that carry life-altering risks with no reliable evidence of benefit,” said Dr. Oz. “This proposal seeks to clarify that hospitals participating in our programs cannot conduct these unproven procedures on children. CMS will ensure that federal program standards reflect our responsibility to promote the health and safety of children.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is targeting illegal marketing by issuing warning letters to 12 manufacturers and retailers of breast binders promoted for treating gender dysphoria in children. These devices are classified for medical uses like post-mastectomy recovery, not for minors’ gender-related purposes. “Illegal marketing of these products for children is alarming, and the FDA will take further enforcement action such as import alerts, seizures, and injunctions if it continues,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H.

Additionally, HHS’s Office for Civil Rights proposes revising the Rehabilitation Act to exclude gender dysphoria from the definition of disability unless tied to physical impairments. This reverses Biden-era policies that could have mandated support for such procedures. “The Biden administration abused a law that was never intended to require health care providers or health programs to support transgender surgeries for minors,” said HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill. “Our rule would restore regulatory clarity and ensure that organizations receiving federal funds can set evidence-based policies without fear of violating federal civil rights requirements.”

Supporting these actions is HHS’s November 2025 peer-reviewed report, Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices, which found insufficient evidence of benefits and highlighted risks. Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Brian Christine, M.D., issued a public health message stating: “Evidence shows sex-rejecting puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries are dangerous. Providers have an obligation to offer care grounded in evidence and to avoid interventions that expose young people to a lifetime of harm.”

The report notes nearly 14,000 minors underwent these procedures from 2019 to 2023, aligning with international shifts in countries like the UK, Sweden, and Finland, which have restricted similar interventions after evidence reviews.

Why This Matters

This policy will save thousands of children from lifelong medical complications amid rising gender dysphoria diagnoses. By tying federal funding to evidence-based standards, it prioritizes child safety over experimental treatments, influencing state policies and reducing taxpayer support for procedures lacking proven benefits. As global health authorities retreat from such interventions, this reinforces a cautious, protective approach for vulnerable youth.

Christian Perspective

From a biblical viewpoint, children are precious gifts from God, entrusted to adults for nurturing and protection (Psalm 127:3). Procedures that alter God-given bodies violate the stewardship of our physical forms, created in His image (Genesis 1:27). True healing comes through faith, counseling, and community rather than irreversible changes. Jesus’ himself said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them” (Matthew 19:14).