The government alleges an influential transgender health group misled teens and families on dangers of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and breast removal.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sued an influential medical organization, seeking to prevent it from allegedly misleading patients about the benefits of “gender-affirming care” for children.
In a complaint filed on June 17, the Trump administration and four states have asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to issue an injunction against World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) affiliates.
They allege WPATH violated the FTC Act and similar state laws that protect consumers from unfair or deceptive business practices.
“Children, but especially their parents, must have complete and truthful information when making decisions to purchase medical services,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a statement.
The lawsuit added to mounting international scrutiny for WPATH, which has denied wrongdoing.
Here’s what to know about the lawsuit and ongoing controversy over WPATH.
‘Standards of Care’
Transition doctors founded WPATH to promote the financial interests of the medical transitioning industry after losing support in 1979, according to the lawsuit.
WPATH developed “standards of care” (SOCs) to address insurance coverage losses. That led major health insurance companies to rely on the SOCs’ determination of medical necessity.
The standards limited procedures to adults, but that changed over the years.
The government’s complaint focuses on WPATH’s most recent SOCs, updated in 2022.
The latest WPATH standards removed age restrictions on life-altering gender surgeries for children, including penis and breast removal, with almost no exceptions.
Political pressure, instead of science, pushed WPATH to eliminate age restrictions, the government alleges.
WPATH misled the public by asserting that pediatric medical transition was the “standard of care” and medically necessary for gender dysphoria; that the effects of puberty blockers are reversible; that cross-sex hormones improve mental health; and that breast removal for children is safe, effective, and “consistently results in better health and quality of life,” the FTC alleges.
WPATH also allegedly omitted or minimized important information in its standards. The FTC argues that the group failed to meaningfully disclose the side effects of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, such as sexual dysfunction or the inability to breastfeed after a mastectomy.
The group’s standards say children with gender dysphoria are at a higher risk of suicide unless they undergo medical transition, characterizing these interventions as “lifesaving,” despite the absence of evidence that they reduce the risk of suicide, according to the government’s complaint.
