FTC investigates risks and false claims of gender-affirming care

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched an inquiry yesterday into whether health providers are disclosing the risks and benefits of gender-affirming care to their patients.

The agency is seeking public comments through September 26, focusing on potential “false or unsupported claims.” The action follows a July FTC workshop that featured critics of youth gender-affirming care.

It also comes amid the Trump administration threatening funding cuts for medical providers of such treatments to minors. It states that children need protection from fraud and the health complications of such medical interventions.

So far, several hospitals, including Stanford Medicine and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, have paused services under federal scrutiny.

Medical groups such as the American Medical Association support such care for minors, emphasizing that surgeries are rare and most patients receive puberty blockers or hormone therapy.