Health Official Advocates Mental Health Approach for Gender Dysphoria in Minors

Efforts to address gender dysphoria among children should involve mental health support and compassionate care, according to Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Admiral Brian Christine. He advises against using hormone blockers and surgeries that may have lasting effects. Christine, a urologist and leader at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), supports the Trump administration’s decision to prevent Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) from funding such medical treatments for minors.

“Gender dysphoria is a genuine condition,” said Christine to Fox News Digital. “In the past, a very small percentage of children experienced it. Recently, diagnoses have increased beyond what epidemiology alone can explain.” He believes most minors will overcome gender dysphoria with competent and caring counseling.

By cutting off federal funds for these sex-rejecting procedures, we’re following the science, saving taxpayer dollars, and, most importantly, protecting children from potentially irreversible harm so they can truly flourish, said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

With this move, Medicaid and CHIP will stop funding pediatric gender transition treatments. The rule doesn’t outright ban these procedures but aims to ensure taxpayer money isn’t used for what some officials consider “experimental treatments.” Christine emphasized the importance of mental health care and compassionate counseling over medical interventions like “castrating chemicals” or irreversible surgeries.

President Donald Trump also criticized gender transition procedures for minors, labeling them “barbaric” in a statement on Truth Social. The administration insists their approach is science-based and prioritizes safeguarding children from potential long-term harm.

Christine highlighted the distinction between “corrective care,” which he promotes, and “gender-affirming care,” which he opposes. He criticized surgeries and hormone treatments, asserting they cause harm rather than providing affirmation.

Under the new rule, effective October 13, children currently receiving hormone treatments will be gradually tapered off over a six-month period. Prior to this shift, gender dysphoria was predominantly diagnosed in adult males. Christine calls this genuine diagnosis hijacked by ideology, observing a rise in cases among minors, especially young girls, which was rare historically.

Many states have implemented restrictions on “gender-affirming care” for minors. Christine warns against what he considers a social contagion driven by ideological beliefs, stressing fundamental differences between sexes.