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Responding to White House directives, Stanford Medicine this month stopped offering gender-related surgical procedures to patients under the age of 19, the hospital system confirmed to this publication.
The pause on gender-related surgeries for youth, which was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, comes at a time when the Trump Administration has been steadily removing protections from LGBTQ residents. Recent White House actions include a ban on transgender troops in the military and an executive order specifying that it is the United States policy to recognize male and female as the only two sexes.
The executive order on gender-affirming care states that it is the policy of the United States that it will “not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”
It directs the heads of all federal departments and agencies that provide research or education grants to medical schools and hospitals to “take appropriate steps to ensure that institutions receiving Federal research or education grants end the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.”
The term gender-affirming care refers to an array of services, including medical, surgical and mental health treatment, for transgender and nonbinary people, according to a guidance document from the federal Office of Population Affairs, which is within Health and Human Services. In addition to surgery, it includes treatment options such as hormone therapy and puberty blockers.
“A safe and affirming healthcare environment is critical in fostering better outcomes for transgender, nonbinary, and other gender expansive children and adolescents,” states the document, which the Trump administration disavowed but restored to the federal website after a court order. “Medical and psychosocial gender affirming healthcare practices have been demonstrated to yield lower rates of adverse mental health outcomes, build self-esteem, and improve overall quality of life for transgender and gender diverse youth.”
Since the White House released its executive order on gender-affirming care in January, numerous hospitals across the nation have halted the procedures. Denver Health in Colorado and VCU Health in Virginia both stopped offering gender-affirming surgeries to those under 19 years old after the executive orders, according to NBC News. This month, Stanford became the latest health system to join the trend.
It issued the following statement:
“After careful review of the latest actions and directives from the federal government and following consultations with clinical leadership, including our multidisciplinary LGBTQ+ program and its providers, Stanford Medicine paused providing gender-related surgical procedures as part of our comprehensive range of medical services for LGBTQ+ patients under the age of 19, effective June 2, 2025.
“We took this step to protect both our providers and patients. This was not a decision we made lightly, especially knowing how deeply this impacts the individuals and families who depend on our essential care and support. Even as circumstances change, we remain committed to providing high quality, thorough and compassionate medical services for every member of our community.”
