PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Penn Medicine will no longer offer gender-affirming surgical procedures to patients under the age of 19.
Chief Medical Officer PJ Brennan said Penn is following current guidance established by the federal government.
He said in a statement, “This is a difficult decision that we know impacts patients and families who place their trust in our care teams. We remain deeply committed to ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment for all members of the communities we serve and providing comprehensive medical and behavioral health care and psychosocial support for LGBTQ+ individuals while complying with federal government requirements.”
The change pertains “specifically to gender-affirming surgical procedures in plastic surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, urology, and otorhinolaryngology,” he said.
This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sent a letter to health care providers and mecical boards “urging immediate updates to treatment protocols for minors with gender dysphoria based on HHS’ comprehensive review that found puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries have very weak evidence of benefit, but carry risk of significant harms, including sterilization. Providers should no longer rely on discredited guidelines that promote these dangerous interventions for children and adolescents based on ideology, not evidence.”
Philadelphia City Councilmember Rue Landau criticized the decision.
“It is extremely upsetting and disturbing to see Penn react to it, especially when so many people in the institution have said we’re going to stay strong, we’re going to continue doing this for as long as we can,” she told NBC10.
Landau said gender-affirming care is “life-saving health care.”
A study by the National Institutes of Health found that transgender young people who receive gender-affirming care are 60% less likely to experience depression.
In January, President Donald Trump issued an executive order cutting federal support for gender transitions for people under the age of 19.
In April, the Trump administration suspended $175 million in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania because of a transgender swimmer who graduated three years ago.