American Medical Association Says Gender Surgeries for Minors Should Wait

Key TakeawaysThe American Medical Association now says most gender surgeries for minors should waitThe group cites weak evidence on long-term risks and benefitsOther major medical groups still support case-by-case decisions for young patients.FRIDAY, Feb. 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Another major medical group says most gender-related surgeries for minors in the U.S. should be postponed until adulthood.The American Medical Association (AMA) said Wednesday that surgical interventions for children and teens seeking gender-related care should usually be deferred until patients are adults. AMA is the nation’s largest physician group.The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) took a similar stance earlier this week.“In the absence of clear evidence, the AMA agrees with ASPS that surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood,” the medical association said in its own announcement.Gender-related care may include hormone therapies and puberty-blocking drugs.The AMA stressed that it still supports access to gender-related care for young people. But it pointed to gaps in research around long-term outcomes of surgeries such as mastectomies and said better studies are needed before these procedures become more common for minors.Between 2016 and 2020, about 3,600 patients ages 12 to 18 received gender-related surgery in the U.S., a review of hospital data shows. Most of those procedures involved chest surgery.Some doctors have said early breast development can be deeply distressing for transgender teens, leading some to seek surgery before age 18. But the plastic surgeons' group said existing research does not clearly show lasting benefits from irreversible operations that may cause “treatment complications and potential harms.”The American Academy of Pediatrics said its position remained unchanged.“The guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for health care for young people with gender dysphoria does not include a blanket recommendation for surgery for minors,” its president, Dr. Andrew Racine, said. “The AAP continues to hold to the principle that patients, their families and their physicians — not politicians — should be the ones to make decisions together about what care is best for them,” he added.The AMA's move comes as gender-related care for minors faces growing opposition nationwide. More than 25 states have passed laws restricting this type of care, and several large hospital systems, including Stanford Medicine and Kaiser Permanente, have stopped offering gender-related surgeries to minors, citing funding issues, The New York Times reported.At the same time, lawsuits filed by people who say they regret procedures they received as teens have added to the pressure.Just last week, a New York jury sided with a woman who said a mastectomy she had as a teen left her permanently harmed. It was the first malpractice verdict tied to gender transition care brought by someone who later regretted their surgery.Meanwhile, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health continues to support individualized care. “There is no definitive age or 'one-size-fits-all' approach for every patient, which is why they are built on case-by-case assessments, involve experts on adolescent development, and are designed to support thoughtful and ethical shared decision-making in a multidisciplinary field,” the group said in a statement.An AMA spokesperson noted that the organization rarely issues specific clinical rules and often defers to specialty groups, but said the lack of strong evidence drove the update.More informationAAMC has more on gender-affirming care.SOURCE: The New York Times, Feb. 4, 2026.What This Means For YouIf your family is exploring gender-related care, the American Medical Association now advises that most surgeries should wait until adulthood..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter