WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is demanding information from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) regarding its actions to comply with President Trump’s recent executive order (EO) to ensure children are not subjected to chemical and surgical castration. This comes as WPATH continues to promote puberty blockers and irreversible gender transition surgeries for children against scientific data.
Cassidy has directed WPATH to provide information to the Committee on how it is instructing health providers and professional societies to comply with President Trump’s EO to protect children from irreversible harm and ensure they receive the best care possible.
“WPATH continues to advocate for irreversible gender transition procedures for children despite weak scientific research on the effects,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Americans and their health care providers deserve to know that treatment guidelines, especially for children, reflect the best scientific evidence available and are not influenced by extreme ideology.”
In accordance with the President’s EO, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued a Quality & Safety Special Alert Memorandum alerting hospital providers of their obligation to protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation. Additionally, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) subsequently announced it will review its policies, grants, and programs in light of CMS’ concerns. CMS emphasized that “it is of utmost importance that all providers follow the highest standards of care .... especially as it comes to America’s children.”
Cassidy noted that the ground has shifted for providers, who may be confused by the provisions of WPATH’s standards that directly conflict with federal agency rules and guidelines.
Despite the lack of evidence on these procedures, WPATH and other major medical organizations continue to advocate for the use of puberty blockers and other gender treatments for children. Specifically, WPATH’s most recent Standard of Care Guidelines recommends eliminating any age restrictions when it comes to children taking puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. As a leading medical organization on gender treatments, its guidelines influence nearly all other medical organizations that publish similar guidelines.
As part of his investigation, Cassidy previously requested information from WPATH on why it continues to promote these irreversible practices without proper scientific evidence. WPATH failed to fully respond to Cassidy’s requests.
Read the full letter here or below:
Dear Dr. Radix:
On October 9, 2024, I sent a letter requesting information and documents from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) related to its “Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People, Version 8” (SOC-8) and practice guidelines for treating children and/or adolescents suffering from “gender dysphoria.”
On November 20, 2024, WPATH responded and produced a copy of SOC-8 and enclosures related to several questions. However, WPATH’s response failed to address questions 3, 5, 6, 8 or 9, which sought information regarding WPATH’s partnership with academic institutions and research on adolescent gender transition procedures, conflicting studies or evidence considered in developing SOC-8, WPATH’s organizational structure, records for WPATH board of directors and committee meetings, and other documents and records related to SOC-8.
On February 18, 2025, WPATH’s outside counsel and U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee staff met virtually to discuss those omissions and any additional materials WPATH plans to produce to the Committee. Committee Republican staff also sought information regarding WPATH’s plans to revise or update SOC-8 following issuance of President Trump’s executive order, “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” on January 28, 2025.[1]
During that call, WPATH’s counsel advised the Committee that they were unaware of any change in the association’s plans to update SOC-8 but would inquire regarding the status of the information due to the Committee. WPATH’s counsel subsequently advised that the association has no updated plans for the release of new standards of care at this time, referring instead to WPATH’s statement on the President’s EO issued following its release.
On March 5, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a Quality & Safety Special Alert Memorandum (QSSAM) alerting hospital providers of their obligation to protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation, including interventions that cause sterilization.[2] CMS noted that the United States is now an “outlier in the treatment of gender dysphoria in children,” and “the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Finland have recently issued restrictions on these interventions for children, including the use of puberty blockers and hormone treatments, and now recommend exploratory psychotherapy as a first line of treatment and reserve hormonal interventions only for exceptional cases.”[3]
According to CMS, the agency “may begin taking steps to appropriately update its policies” and “will follow any applicable substantive and procedural requirements in taking any future action.”[4] CMS emphasized that “it is of utmost importance that all providers follow the highest standards of care and adhere closely to the foundational principles of medicine, especially as it comes to America’s children.” [5] (emphasis added)
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) subsequently announced it will review its policies, grants, and programs in light of the concerns discussed in the CMS QSSAM, including its Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) Payment Program.[6] HRSA also stated it may reconsider, delay, or cancel new grants in the future, depending on the nature of the work and any future policy change(s) adopted by the agency.[7]
In light of the President’s EO, related agency guidance, and the Cass Report, the ground has shifted significantly for providers. It is critical that medical standards of care for the treatment of children reflect the best scientific evidence available at present, consistent with current regulatory requirements for providers. Providers may be confused by the conflicting provisions of SOC-8 in that regard, as they seek to comply with applicable federal rules and guidelines.
Therefore, please provide a detailed response to the Committee no later than April 15, 2025, including the following: (1) all outstanding information and documents previously requested; and (2) an explanation of the actions WPATH is taking to communicate with providers and professional societies seeking input to comply with the President’s EO to protect children from chemical and surgical mutilation.
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