HHS Leaders Praise ASPS Decision as a Stand for Science, Ethics, and Child Protection
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) has formally disavowed gender-related surgical procedures for minors, concluding that current scientific evidence does not support the use of irreversible interventions for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria.
In a newly released position statement, ASPS determined that the evidence base supporting gender-related endocrine and surgical interventions for minors is “low quality/low certainty,” stating that “there is insufficient evidence demonstrating a favorable risk-benefit ratio for the pathway of gender-related endocrine and surgical interventions in children and adolescents.”
The organization cited findings from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report, Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices, which evaluated existing research and ethical considerations surrounding pediatric gender interventions.
Founded in 1931, ASPS represents more than 11,000 physician members and is widely regarded as a leading authority in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.
Following the announcement, leaders within HHS issued statements praising ASPS for what they described as a science-based and ethically grounded decision.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. applauded the organization for resisting political and ideological pressure.
“We commend the American Society of Plastic Surgeons for standing up to the overmedicalization lobby and defending sound science,” Kennedy said. “By taking this stand, they are helping protect future generations of American children from irreversible harm.”
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz compared the practice of gender-related procedures for minors to historically discredited medical interventions.
“When the medical ethics textbooks of the future are written, they’ll look back on sex-rejecting procedures for minors the way we look back on lobotomies,” Oz said. “I applaud the American Society of Plastic Surgeons for placing itself on the right side of history by opposing these dangerous, unscientific experiments.”
HHS General Counsel Mike Stuart noted that ASPS is part of a growing trend among medical institutions reevaluating such procedures.
“Almost daily, another major hospital system in America is ending the tragic and irreversible practice of sex-rejecting procedures for minors,” Stuart said. “The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is bravely standing with Secretary Kennedy in courageously leading on this critical issue.”
The ASPS position statement also addressed the natural course of gender dysphoria, noting that the majority of children diagnosed with the condition experience resolution without medical intervention. Existing evidence, the statement added, suggests that most adolescents will also see remission over time.
Regarding patient autonomy, the HHS report cited by ASPS concluded that “respect for patient autonomy does not negate clinicians’ professional and ethical obligation to protect and promote their patients’ health.” ASPS echoed that finding, stating that adolescent autonomy does not obligate physicians to provide medical or surgical interventions that are not supported by evidence.
