Yale, Connecticut Children’s end sex change treatments for minors

Multiple Hospitals in Connecticut have announced that they are ending sex change treatments for minors. 

Yale New Haven Hospital announced on July 23 that it will no longer be offering puberty blockers and hormone treatments for patients under 19.

Hospital leadership wrote in the letter, obtained by Yale Daily News, that the change in offerings followed a "thorough assessment of the current environment." The pediatric gender program will continue to offer mental health services, care coordination, and counseling.

"After careful consideration of the current federal landscape as it relates to gender-affirming care for minors, including the federal executive orders, administrative actions, recent Supreme Court cases, as well as our responsibility to ensure support for the care of all our patients — Yale Medicine and YNHH made the difficult decision to stop providing gender-affirming medication treatment for patients under 19," Karen Peart, a spokesperson for Yale, told the outlet. Yale Medicine is the "clinical practice" of the Ivy League institution’s medical school. 

The Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) has also revealed that it would be closing its program that provides sex change treatments to minors, per CT Mirror.

A statement attributed to President and CEO Jim Shmerling said, "In recent months, we have been carefully reviewing the long-term sustainability of our gender care program in light of an increasingly complex and evolving landscape. After thoughtful consideration and guidance from medical and legal experts, we have made the difficult decision to begin winding down this program for patients under the age of 19. This process is being carried out in a deliberate and planful way, with ongoing communication and support for the families and team members directly involved. It continues to be an evolving and fluid situation."

In a statement, Gov Ned Lamont’s office said, "It’s disappointing for hospitals in Connecticut to be forced to make the difficult decision to end gender-affirming care for minors in response to the federal executive order. These decisions are not based on Connecticut values or Connecticut law—they part of a series of relentless federal demands that have created fear, confusion, and legal uncertainty for our healthcare providers."

"To transgender youth and their families in Connecticut: you are not alone. We see you, we support you, and we are working closely with the Attorney General and hospital leaders to understand the full impact. In Connecticut, we do not turn our backs on kids in need."

This comes as hospitals across the country are bringing similar programs to an end in response to executive orders from President Donald Trump to protect children. Hospitals that have ended such programs include Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Stanford Medicine in California, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and Lurie Children’s Hospital Chicago.