A new database released by the advocacy group Do No Harm reveals disturbing statistics about gender-disfiguring surgeries performed on minors in the U.S. between 2019 and 2023. According to the data, at least 5,747 gender-altering surgeries were carried out on children, with an additional 13,994 minors receiving other transgender treatments such as puberty blockers and opposite-sex hormones during the same period. The vast majority of these patients were girls aged 12 to 17.
The Stop the Harm Database also highlights the financial impact of these procedures, with medical practitioners collectively earning more than $119 million from these interventions. A “dirty dozen” list of U.S. hospitals was identified as the leading institutions performing these surgeries, including renowned centers like the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Boston Children’s Hospital, and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.
The database also shows that California, one of the first states to declare itself a “sanctuary state” for transgender procedures, led the nation in irreversible surgeries, with 1,359 minors undergoing surgical interventions. Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts followed with 357, 330, 316, and 300 procedures, respectively, according to Fox News.
Despite these growing concerns, American medical organizations such as the AAP continue to advocate for gender treatments for minors, often dismissing warnings from critics and international research. In stark contrast, European nations, such as those in Scandinavia and the UK, have begun to scale back gender-related interventions for minors after observing the negative effects.
The American College of Pediatricians, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, and other health organizations have raised alarms about the ethics of these practices, calling for an end to what they view as harmful medical interventions. Legal challenges are also mounting against policies that mandate these procedures, with many calling for greater oversight of the medical profession.