Stanford Medicine has paused gender-related surgical procedures for patients under 19, a move that the health system said aims to protect both patients and providers as federal oversight of gender-affirming care intensifies.
“This was not a decision we made lightly,” Stanford Medicine said in a statement on Tuesday.
Stanford has not disclosed how many gender-affirming surgeries it has performed on minors or how many patients may be affected by the pause, which took effect June 2.
While surgeries for minors are on hold, other services that the Stanford LGBTQ+ Health Program offers, including hormone therapy, behavioral health support, voice training and primary care, are expected to remain available.
Federal pressure on gender-affirming care has mounted since President Trump in January signed an executive order titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation.” It asserts that “medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children … through a series of irreversible medical interventions,” and directs agencies to “not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so‑called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another.”
Then, in May, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services sent a letter to hospitals requesting detailed information about how they treat gender dysphoria in minors. The letter asks institutions to report on consent protocols, outcome tracking (including detransition or regret), and financial data tied to these procedures.
Medical associations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, maintain that gender-affirming care, including surgery in some cases, is medically necessary and can be life-saving for transgender youth. However, critics have questioned the strength of long-term data and raised concerns about the potential irreversibility of certain interventions — concerns echoed in a recent report commissioned by the Trump administration.
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law that bans puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender minors. The decision effectively allows similar laws to remain in place or take effect in more than two dozen other states.
In the past year alone, Kansas, South Carolina, Wyoming and New Hampshire have added new restrictions, joining a broader conservative effort to roll back access to trans health care for minors nationwide.
In contrast, California has taken steps to protect medical services for trans youth. In 2022, the state passed a sanctuary law shielding families and providers who travel to California for gender-affirming care from legal action under out-of-state bans. Medi-Cal, the state’s public insurance program, covers puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries for minors.
And in February, California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned hospitals that denying or pausing care for trans youth based on political pressure could violate state law.
To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy.