The American Society of Plastic Surgeons released a statement recommending doctors refuse gender-related surgeries for transgender patients under the age of 19, a move the Trump administration is calling a win.
“ASPS concludes there is insufficient evidence demonstrating a favorable risk-benefit ratio for the pathway of gender-related endocrine and surgical interventions in children and adolescents. ASPS recommends that surgeons delay gender-related breast/chest, genital, and facial surgery until a patient is at least 19 years old,” the ASPS recommendation reads.
The Department of Health and Human Services and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praised the group for its recommendation. Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill called the ASPS recommendation a “victory for biological truth in the Trump administration.”
“We commend the American Society of Plastic Surgeons for standing up to the overmedicalization lobby and defending sound science,” Kennedy said. “By taking this stand, they are helping protect future generations of American children from irreversible harm.”
The ASPS cited a 2025 HHS report titled “Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices” as part of its reasoning behind the recommendation.
