Major US medical group opposes sex change operations for minors

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has cited uncertainty over the long-term outcomes of the procedures, some of which are irreversible

A leading US medical association has recommended against “gender transition” surgeries for minors, citing insufficient evidence that perceived benefits outweigh the risks. The move comes amid a broader drop in support for transgender ideology and sex change surgeries for children.

In a statement on Tuesday, The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), which represents over 11,000 surgeons across the US, advised its members to delay the life-altering procedures until patients are at least 19 years old.

In guidance approved in January and reported by The Washington Post, the ASPS stated “there is insufficient evidence demonstrating a favorable risk-benefit ratio” for surgical interventions in youth, adding that there is “substantial uncertainty” about the long-term outcomes of such operations.

“This is a vulnerable, adolescent population,” former ASPS president Scot Bradley Glasberg told the Post. “We are mindful that some of these surgeries are irreversible.”

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been leading efforts to restrict sex change operations for minors, commended the ASPS for its latest notice, and applauded it for “standing up to the overmedicalization lobby and defending sound science.”

Read more

Shifting opinions in the medical community follow a broader political shift on sex change operations in America. US President Donald Trump has moved aggressively to reverse the transgender policies of his predecessor Joe BIden, signing executive orders to end federal support for youth transition procedures, banning transgender individuals from military service, and supporting state laws to restrict care.

Legislators across the country have also been making efforts to criminalize gender transitions for minors, with the US House of Representatives passing a bill late last year to outlaw such procedures for youths. The motion has yet to be voted on in the Senate.

Meanwhile, the prevalence of trans-identifying young Americans has also recently seen a decline. The University of Buckingham’s Centre for Heterodox Social Science found in October that the share of US university students identifying as transgender had nearly halved since its 2023 peak, falling from nearly 7% to below 4%.