The hospital system is the first in Pennsylvania to comply with President Trump’s executive order preventing children from undergoing the irreversible medical procedures.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) will end transgender procedures for patients under 19 by Monday, citing legal uncertainty and pressure from recent federal directives.
“As we continue to monitor executive branch memos, directives, and other guidance from the federal government, these actions have made it abundantly clear that our clinicians can no longer provide certain types of gender-affirming care without risk of criminal prosecution,” shared a UPMC spokesperson in a statement. “This includes specific restrictions on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for individuals under the age of 19.”
The decision follows President Donald Trump’s January executive order titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” which warns that hospitals performing gender-related medical procedures on minors will lose federal funding.
“Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children under the radical and false claim that adults can change a child’s sex through a series of irreversible medical interventions,” the order reads. “This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end.”
UPMC’s announcement has drawn outspoken support from Pennsylvania groups that believe the law should protect children from making elective medical decisions they could later regret.
“UPMC’s decision to stop gender-affirming care for minors is a step in the right direction,” shared the City of Pittsburgh’s Republican Committee in a social media statement via X, adding that transgender procedures for children “can harm their physical development and growth.”
“Many who’ve undergone sex-change surgeries are now regretting their decisions and de-transitioning. We need more mental health support focused on addressing issues like gender dysphoria without affirming harmful medical procedures.”
Meanwhile, the announcement has also evoked criticism from LGBTQ activist groups; the Pennsylvania Youth Congress issued a letter to UPMC in April, claiming that resisting compliance with federal orders would constitute “saving trans lives.” The letter was signed by 57 Democratic state lawmakers, including House Speaker Joanna McClinton.
The group also noted that UPMC’s decision followed a quiet removal of LGBTQ materials from its website and training programs, including guidelines for pronoun usage and “inclusive” patient care.
The policy change aligns with a broader rollback of pediatric transgender procedures in several conservative-led states, echoing growing international concern about the long-term effects and ethics of navigating minors’ consent to irreversible elective procedures. Countries such as Sweden and the UK have significantly scaled back such procedures in recent years, opting for more cautious, research-driven approaches.
As of now, UPMC remains the only major Pennsylvania health system to confirm it will stop gender-related treatments for minors, but others in the Commonwealth and in neighboring states are expected to follow suit in the coming months.
Pressure is only mounting against hospitals in light of a June U.S. Supreme Court ruling that permits states to pass outright bans on transgender procedures for minors.
“The Court’s decision marks an essential step forward in prioritizing evidence-based, compassionate care for vulnerable minors,” stated Randall Wenger, Chief Counsel at Independence Law Center and COO at PA Family Institute. “This decision is about protecting children and affirming that their physical and psychological futures should never be jeopardized by speculative medical experiments.”
