medpagetoday.com
2026-03-02
For the first time, a major U.S. physician group has recommended against gender transition surgeries for youths.
On Tuesday, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) sent a position statement to its 11,000 members recommending against gender-related breast/chest, genital, and facial surgery until a patient is at least 19 years old.
The news was first reported by the Washington Post.
ASPS said its understanding has evolved in light of "additional comprehensive evidence reviews" on gender dysphoria, including an HHS report that was issued last May. Both the HHS report and the U.K.'s Cass Review concluded that the "natural course of pediatric gender dysphoria remains poorly understood," according to the position statement.
"The HHS report underscores that this uncertainty has significant ethical implications: when the likelihood of spontaneous resolution is unknown and when irreversible interventions carry known and plausible risks, adhering to the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence ... requires a precautionary approach," the statement said.