Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), a prominent provider of transgender health services in the United States, has ceased performing gender-affirming surgeries on patients aged 19 and under. According to a statement from OHSU spokesperson Sara Hottman, the last surgery for this age group occurred in February 2025, and no surgeries have taken place since March 2025.
The decision to halt these procedures was made without public announcement until it was reported by the local publication Willamette Week. Hottman explained that the academic medical center currently lacks the surgical care team necessary to conduct gender-affirming surgeries for patients younger than 19. She emphasized, “Consequently, we have paused scheduling surgeries for this patient population.”
Federal Pressure Influences Decision
OHSU officials indicated that federal policies have played a significant role in this decision. The change comes in the wake of a series of federal actions aimed at restricting gender-affirming care for minors, initiated during the administration of former President Donald Trump. In January 2025, Trump signed an executive order that limited federal funding for gender-affirming treatments for individuals under 19. This directive specifically impacts puberty blockers, hormone therapies—including androgen blockers, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone—as well as surgical interventions.
Despite initial assurances from OHSU officials that the order would not immediately affect patient care, Hottman noted that gender-affirming surgeries had already been infrequent for younger patients. Fewer than 30 patients under the age of 17 received these surgeries in the two years prior to the suspension.
Continuing Medical Services for Transgender Youth
While OHSU has paused surgical procedures, its Transgender Health Program remains operational, continuing to offer gender-affirming medical services to patients aged 19 and under. These services include puberty-blocking medications that can prevent irreversible physical changes during early adolescence, as well as hormone therapy. Advocates for these treatments argue they can be life-saving for transgender teenagers, who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), face a significantly higher risk of suicide attempts compared to their peers.
Research supports the benefits of these medical interventions. A 2020 study indicated that adolescents receiving treatments to affirm their gender identity reported improved mental health outcomes. Nonetheless, there is considerable opposition to these practices, with critics asserting that minors lack the maturity to provide informed consent for such care.
The federal government has taken a hardline approach, threatening to withhold federal grants from hospitals and medical schools that continue to provide transition-related care for minors. Additionally, restrictions have been placed on insurance coverage for gender-affirming treatments under the Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, and the U.S. Department of Justice has suggested possible criminal charges against providers who offer these services.
As a result of these federal actions, other healthcare providers across the United States have followed suit in reevaluating or limiting gender-affirming care for youth. For instance, Kaiser Permanente announced last summer that it would stop performing gender-affirming surgeries for minors starting in August 2025 at its facilities.
The landscape of transgender healthcare continues to shift amid ongoing debates about the appropriate care for minors, highlighting a complex intersection of medical ethics, policy, and individual rights.
