Major U.S. medical organisation rejects sex-change operations for minors

A major United States medical body has recommended against performing gender transition surgeries on people under 19, pointing to a lack of clear evidence that the benefits outweigh the potential risks.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) representing more than 11,000 specialists, issued guidance advising members to delay surgical procedures for adolescents, highlighting uncertainty around long-term outcomes and the irreversible nature of some treatments.

The organisation said that young patients represent a particularly vulnerable group and said more research is needed before such procedures can be considered safe and effective for minors. The guidance has emerged amid wider debate in the United States and beyond around youth ‘gender treatment’, with political leaders and lawmakers increasingly moving to restrict or regulate access to transition-related medical care for young people.

The shift also reflects broader changes in public and institutional attitudes, alongside ongoing legislative efforts at federal and state levels targeting medical transition procedures for minors. Meanwhile new research suggests the proportion of young people identifying as ‘transgender’ has declined from previous peaks. The University of Buckingham’s Centre for Heterodox Social Science found in October that the share of US university students identifying as transgender had nearly halved since its 2023 peak, falling from nearly 7% to below 4%.

Image credit: Patrick Perkins