HHS demands explanations from medical groups regarding sex-rejecting procedures for minors
Caroline MolloyThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a letter on Oct. 14 to leading medical organizations requiring them to explain whether they continue to support sex-rejecting procedures for minors, in light of the department’s findings that the procedures harm children.
The inquiry also asks the organizations to explain whether they will change their recommendations on the procedures, and what medical evidence supports their positions.
According to an Oct. 14 HHS press release, the department has also requested a timeline for any changes and said it expects written answers within 10 business days.
“Today’s action is the latest step in the Trump Administration’s sustained effort to protect children from sex-rejecting procedures and bring transparency and accountability to so-called ‘gender medicine’ in pediatric care,” the release said. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called on the organizations to explain the basis for their medical standards.
“When medical organizations set standards that shape the care of children, they have a responsibility to explain the evidence behind those standards,” Kennedy said. “HHS has asked these organizations for clear answers about their current positions, the evidence supporting their guidance, and whether they intend to change it. Parents and clinicians deserve transparency, and we expect these organizations to provide it.”
