The White House has released a report summarising the administration’s actions during President Donald Trump’s first 100 days aimed at limiting transgender youths’ access to gender-affirming healthcare.
Trump’s January 28 executive order, which sought to ban individuals under 19 from receiving puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender-affirming surgeries, instructed federal agencies to submit a progress report within 60 days. A summary of their efforts has now been posted on the White House website.
The order and report consistently describe gender-affirming healthcare using inflammatory language, referring to treatments as “surgical and chemical mutilation” and “experimentation” on children. It further alleges that puberty blockers and surgical procedures have been irresponsibly promoted to minors, driven by ideological and financial motives.
In contrast, all major U.S. medical associations and prominent international health organisations endorse gender-affirming care as evidence-based, safe, and, in many cases, lifesaving for transgender youth.
The report claims that in the Biden administration’s first three years, over 7,000 minors received puberty blockers and hormone therapy, and more than 4,000 underwent gender-related surgeries. Even if accurate, these numbers represent a tiny fraction of the U.S. under-18 population — roughly 0.01% and 0.005%, respectively — consistent with research showing such treatments remain rare.
The Williams Institute previously criticised Trump’s portrayal of gender-affirming care, saying it “ignores decades of research” and relies on “unsubstantiated claims of widespread harm.”
Monday’s report also outlines how federal health agencies — including the Centres for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health — have issued warnings against gender-affirming treatments, further spreading misinformation that contradicts the scientific consensus.
The administration misrepresents the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s (WPATH) Standards of Care Version 8, suggesting it was politically, rather than scientifically, motivated. The report also highlights the removal of federal guidance supporting gender-affirming care, issued by former Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine, from government websites. Although a February court order mandated its reinstatement, the administration appended disclaimers distancing itself from the material.
Following Trump’s directive to produce an “evidence-based” review of best practices for children experiencing gender dysphoria, HHS has reportedly convened eight unnamed scholars. Critics anticipate this review will mirror the Cass Review in the UK, which faced backlash for excluding studies supporting gender-affirming care and for perceived political bias.
The report also details that HHS has terminated 215 federal grants related to gender-affirming care and is exploring ways to enhance access to “detransition” services.
Further, Trump’s executive order demanded that federal employee health insurance stop covering gender-affirming treatments for minors. The Department of Defence has already instructed its health services contractors to end such coverage, while the Office of Personnel Management plans to implement similar exclusions for civilian employees’ children from next year.
The Department of Justice is reportedly investigating providers accused of misleading the public about gender-affirming care’s long-term effects. The DOJ also intends to propose legislation creating a long statute of limitations for lawsuits against care providers and to establish a “Parental Rights Task Force,” falsely citing California as a state where parental rights are at risk, despite Governor Gavin Newsom vetoing a related bill in 2023.
