A new database reveals that over 5,700 minors in the U.S. underwent gender-affirming surgeries between 2019 and 2023. Reported by Fox News and the New York Post on October 9, the database, created by the advocacy group Do No Harm, tracks treatments for gender dysphoria, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries.
The database, titled “Does My Hospital Transition Kids?”, launched earlier this week, showing that 13,994 minors received gender-affirming care over the four-year period. Of these, 5,747 minors underwent surgeries such as mastectomies and genital reassignment, while 8,579 received puberty blockers or hormone replacement therapy, resulting in over 60,000 prescriptions issued.
Data sourced from insurance claims (excluding certain plans like Kaiser and self-pay) revealed the total cost of treatment for around 14,000 minors amounted to $119 million. State analysis indicated significant regional differences, with California accounting for over $28 million spent on 2,000 patients. Irreversible surgeries were most common in California (1,359 minors), followed by Oregon (357), Washington (330), Pennsylvania (316), and Massachusetts (300).
Do No Harm, which aims to provide clearer insights into gender-affirming care for minors, suggests these figures might be underestimated. The group’s chairman, Stanley Goldfarb, stressed their focus on accuracy, stating, “We’re probably and almost certainly understating the nature of the problem.”
Chloe Cole, an activist who detransitioned after receiving gender-affirming treatment as a minor, criticized the medical community for experimenting on young people. Cole, who began puberty blockers and testosterone at 13 and had a double mastectomy at 15, urged politicians and parents to use the database to prevent minors from undergoing irreversible treatments.