A new database has revealed that over 200 hospitals and healthcare facilities across the U.S. are providing irreversible transgender procedures to minors, debunking claims that such treatments are not being performed on children. The nonprofit watchdog, Do No Harm, launched the database, which lists 225 hospitals offering sex-change surgeries, hormone therapies, and puberty blockers to children.
According to Do No Harm’s analysis of insurance claims, nearly 14,000 children in the U.S. underwent some form of transgender-related intervention between 2019 and 2023. This includes almost 6,000 children who received surgeries, and over 8,500 who were given hormones or puberty blockers. The organization’s data, gathered from insurance claims, suggests the actual number may be higher, as cash payments and certain insurance providers were not included, as reported by the Daily Signal.
Beth Serio, a registered nurse and external relations manager at Do No Harm, emphasized the lasting consequences of these procedures, particularly when children take hormones for extended periods. “Some of them can have a sterilizing effect,” she noted, adding that these treatments are often falsely described as reversible. The cost of these procedures is staggering, with families reportedly spending over $119 million.
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is among the most active, with 122 child patients undergoing transgender treatments. CHOP offers a range of services, including gender-affirming care, hormone treatments, and surgeries. However, concerns persist over the mental health impact of such procedures. Recent studies indicate that so-called gender-affirming care is linked to increased suicide risks in youths, raising critical questions about the benefits and ethics of these interventions for minors.
