The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has pointed to uncertainty regarding the long-term results of these procedures, many of which are irreversible
A top U.S. medical organization has advised against “gender transition” surgeries for minors, noting insufficient evidence that perceived benefits outweigh the risks. This move comes amid a broader decline in support for transgender ideology and sex change surgeries for children.
In a Tuesday statement, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)—which represents over 11,000 surgeons across the U.S.—urged its members to delay these life-altering procedures until patients are at least 19 years old.
In guidelines approved in January and reported by The Washington Post, ASPS stated “there is insufficient evidence demonstrating a favorable risk-benefit ratio” for surgical interventions in youth, adding that there is “substantial uncertainty” about the long-term outcomes of such operations.
“This is a vulnerable, adolescent population,” Scot Bradley Glasberg, former ASPS president, told the Post. “We are mindful that some of these surgeries are irreversible.”
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—who has led efforts to restrict sex change operations for minors—commended ASPS for its latest guidance and applauded it for “standing up to the overmedicalization lobby and defending sound science.”
Shifting views in the medical community reflect a broader political shift on sex change operations in America. U.S. President Donald Trump has taken aggressive action to reverse his predecessor Joe Biden’s transgender policies, signing executive orders to end federal support for youth transition procedures, banning transgender individuals from military service, and backing state laws to restrict such care.
Legislators across the country have also worked to criminalize gender transitions for minors; the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill late last year to outlaw these procedures for youths, though the motion has yet to be voted on in the Senate.
Meanwhile, the prevalence of young Americans identifying as transgender has recently declined. In October, the University of Buckingham’s Centre for Heterodox Social Science found that the share of U.S. university students identifying as transgender had nearly halved since its 2023 peak, dropping from almost 7% to below 4%.