The American Medical Association released a statement in response to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) position on gender-affirming care in minors. The AMA stated: “The AMA supports evidence-based treatment, including gender-affirming care,” but noted that evidence for surgery on minors is “insufficient” and that “in the absence of clear evidence, the AMA agrees with ASPS that surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood.” Among clinicians who provide gender-affirming care, the general consensus is that surgery on breasts, facial features, or genitals is mostly reserved for adults, though it should remain available to minors on a case-by-case basis. Surgery on transgender minors is rare: one study found that between 2016 and 2020, about 3,200 people aged 18 and under received top surgery, while fewer than 760 received any other gender-affirming procedure.
Clinical Standards and Authority Questions
The AMA’s comment has been subject to different interpretations, with some suggesting it represents a policy shift. However, the organization has not changed any of its official policies or position statements on gender-affirming care. In 2024, the AMA reaffirmed its policy that gender-affirming medication and surgery, “as determined by shared decision making between the patient and physician, are medically necessary as outlined by generally-accepted standards of medical and surgical practice.” The policy also opposes legislation criminalizing such care. Other major medical organizations support surgery for minors on a case-by-case basis, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, which reaffirmed its policy in 2023. The AAP’s president, Andrew Racine, stated: “The guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics for health care for young people with gender dysphoria does not include a blanket recommendation for surgery for minors. 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.”
Context and Pressures
The statement arrived amid federal pressure on hospitals and providers. Since January 2025, around a dozen hospitals nationwide have ceased performing surgical procedures on young people due to federal pressure including criminal investigations and funding threats. Standards of care from the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, last updated in 2022, include eight requirements for recommending surgical treatment before adulthood, including specific diagnostic criteria and documented sustained gender incongruence.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/10/medical-societies-trans-care-minors-ama-asps/