President Donald Trump’s administration began investigating whether healthcare providers are misrepresenting or failing to disclose the risks of transgender procedures and care this week.
The Federal Trade Commission announced the investigation on Monday, giving consumers a window through September 26 to come forward with any concerns that they may have been “exposed to false or unsupported claims about ‘gender-affirming care,’ especially as it relates to minors.” The FTC held a workshop earlier this month looking into potential “deceptive trade practices” relating to gender-related treatment.
“The FTC seeks to evaluate whether consumers (in particular, minors) have been harmed and whether medical professionals or others may have violated Sections 5 and 12 of the FTC Act by failing to disclose material risks associated with ‘gender-affirming care’ or making false or unsubstantiated claims about the benefits or effectiveness of ‘gender-affirming care,'” the FTC said in a statement, adding that such activity may be “unlawful.”
The investigation comes amid the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign against transgender care for minors, leading many providers to back away from such programs.
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in May released a comprehensive review of best practices for children and teens with gender dysphoria. The report revealed “serious concerns about medical interventions, such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries, that attempt to transition children and adolescents away from their sex.”
The report highlighted evidence of risks associated with gender-related treatments, including irreversible infertility, sexual dysfunction, reduced bone density, adverse cognitive impacts, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, psychiatric disorders, surgical complications and regret.
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The authors also called into question the ethics surrounding medical interventions for children and teens with gender dysphoria.
“HHS believes that medical ethics should be central in this debate,” the release said.
A team of medical doctors, medical ethicists and a methodologist contributed to the review, according to HHS.
“Contributors represent a wide range of political viewpoints and were chosen for their commitment to scientific principles,” they said.
The new scrutiny has caused providers like the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., to no longer provide gender transition-related medical interventions.
Beginning last week, the web page for the hospital’s “Gender Development Program” displayed a message for existing and new patients announcing the change, which will go into effect Aug. 30.
“In light of escalating legal and regulatory risks to Children’s National, our providers, and the families we serve, we will be discontinuing the prescription of gender-affirming medications,” the message says. “Mental health and other support services for LGBT patients remain available. You are always welcome at Children’s National for your other medical needs.”
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Melissa Rudy contributed to this report
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