Issued on December 18, 2025, this Declaration by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. formally declares that gender-related medical and surgical interventions for minors—including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries—are neither safe nor effective as a treatment for gender dysphoria and do not meet professionally recognized standards of health care. The declaration draws on the HHS’s own peer-reviewed evidence review, the UK’s Cass Review, and independent systematic reviews from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway—all of which concluded that the risks of these interventions likely outweigh the benefits, and that psychotherapy should serve as the primary treatment approach for gender-distressed youth. It also delivers a pointed critique of the clinical guidelines issued by WPATH, the Endocrine Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which independent reviewers found to be of low quality.
This declaration is an essential primary source document for healthcare providers, policymakers, legal professionals, parents, and advocates navigating this rapidly evolving landscape.