Two hospitals in California are discontinuing hormone therapies for transgender youth, citing Trump administration pressures. Prior to now yr, many hospitals and clinics have scaled again that care.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
As of immediately, the most important youngsters’s hospital system in California is not providing gender-affirming hormone remedy to these underneath 19. That is after a collection of actions from the Trump administration pressuring medical suppliers throughout the nation to finish take care of transgender youth. Kevin Tidmarsh of member station LAist has extra. And a warning – this story mentions suicide.
KEVIN TIDMARSH, BYLINE: San Diego father Brett (ph) says about 4 years in the past, his little one was in a deep despair. At first, he did not know why. Then his 11-year-old child advised the household he was a boy, not a woman. Brett spoke to NPR on the situation that we solely use his first title. He is involved about his household being focused by the federal authorities. Brett says issues bought higher after his son got here out.
BRETT: He simply blossomed.
TIDMARSH: He had extra vitality. He made extra pals. He threw himself into hobbies. And a few yr and a half in the past, he began getting hormone remedy at Rady Youngsters’s Hospital, San Diego. Brett says they have been pleased with their physician.
BRETT: She was actually, actually, overwhelmingly loving.
TIDMARSH: He says after beginning hormone remedy, his son got here out of his shell much more. Then, about two weeks in the past, the well being care system that runs the hospital the place they bought care, Rady Youngsters’s Well being, advised households they have been discontinuing gender-affirming hormone remedy for folks underneath 19. It impacts two huge hospitals in Southern California and virtually 1,500 sufferers.
BRETT: The entire world form of dropped out from underneath me.
TIDMARSH: In a press release, Rady stated this was due to escalating federal actions, together with a latest referral to the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers Workplace of Inspector Normal for investigation. Over the previous yr, the Trump administration has taken quite a few actions to restrict youth entry to gender-affirming care, arguing that it harms youngsters. That features two rule modifications proposed in December by the U.S. Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Providers. If adopted, they might lower federal funding for hospitals that present gender-affirming hormone remedy or surgical procedure to minors.
BRETT: The workers within the clinic are simply unbelievably fantastic, however they do not have actual management over whether or not or not they take care of us.
TIDMARSH: NPR reached out to the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Providers for remark. They stated in an emailed assertion that gender-affirming care didn’t meet professionally acknowledged requirements of well being care. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society and the American Psychological Affiliation have all opposed that view, saying that this care is proof primarily based and vital for trans psychological well being. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has really helpful delaying gender-related surgical procedures till age 19, however solely a small variety of transgender minors search surgical procedure. The federal actions have led greater than a dozen hospitals nationwide to finish gender-affirming hormone remedy to youth within the final yr.
KELLAN BAKER: That is sadly a extremely scary state of affairs.
TIDMARSH: Kellan Baker is with the Motion Development Challenge, a suppose tank that tracks LGBTQ coverage. He says the proposed guidelines that will lower federal funding for hospitals that carry out this care are significantly regarding.
BAKER: About 50% of the funding for hospitals in states throughout the nation comes from federal packages like Medicare and Medicaid.
TIDMARSH: Half a dozen gender-affirming care suppliers contacted by NPR both did not reply or declined to remark. However Alex Sheldon, the manager director of the LGBTQ medical affiliation GLMA, has been in contact with lots of of suppliers all around the nation. They are saying that some who work at establishments that discontinue trans youth care have heard from terrified sufferers, like one nurse who was advised by a mother or father…
ALEX SHELDON: That if their younger particular person dies by suicide as a result of they can’t get entry to remedy, that it will be that nurse’s fault.
TIDMARSH: Sheldon says non-public suppliers may also help fill within the gaps, however they can not substitute massive hospitals, which may see much more sufferers and analysis and develop greatest medical practices. Brett in San Diego has been working with a neighborhood nonprofit to discover a non-public supplier, however…
BRETT: There’s just one within the county that we have been capable of establish.
TIDMARSH: He is not even positive if they will deal with his son. His household is exploring the concept of shifting overseas. In the meantime, California’s legal professional basic, Rob Bonta, has filed a lawsuit attempting to revive the care at Rady Hospital particularly with a everlasting injunction. However for now, households are trying elsewhere for care. For NPR Information, I am Kevin Tidmarsh in Los Angeles.
Copyright © 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts might differ. Transcript textual content could also be revised to appropriate errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its authentic broadcast or publication. The authoritative report of NPR’s programming is the audio report.
