A recently launched database has disclosed that more than 5,700 minors in the United States underwent gender-affirming surgeries between 2019 and 2023. The report, highlighted by Fox News and the New York Post, comes from the advocacy group Do No Harm, which created a searchable database titled “Does My Hospital Transition Kids?” to track treatments for gender dysphoria, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgical interventions.
The database indicates that a total of 13,994 minors received some form of gender-affirming care during the four-year period. Researchers pinpointed 5,747 unique minors who underwent surgeries such as mastectomies and genital reassignment procedures. Furthermore, 8,579 children received puberty blockers or hormone replacement therapy, with over 60,000 prescriptions issued nationwide.
Data was sourced from insurance claims across the country, although some health plans, including Kaiser and self-pay options, were excluded. The total insurance claims for these treatments reached approximately $119 million, covering about 14,000 patients. California accounted for the highest expenditure, with more than $28 million spent on treatments for around 2,000 patients.
The report reveals significant regional disparities in transgender medical care. Irreversible surgeries were more frequently performed in specific states, with California leading at 1,359 minors who underwent surgical procedures. Other states with notable numbers included Oregon (357), Washington (330), Pennsylvania (316), and Massachusetts (300).
Stanley Goldfarb, chairman of Do No Harm, emphasized the meticulousness of the data collection, stating, “We’ve really been meticulous in trying to make sure that the data are as clear as possible and are as accurate as possible. If anything, we’re showing the lower limits of what’s going on… to be certain that we’re not overstating it one iota. We’re probably and almost certainly understating the nature of the problem.”
Activist Chloe Cole, who detransitioned after receiving gender-affirming treatment as a minor, expressed concern over the medical practices, stating, “Thousands of kids are being treated like guinea pigs for unproven medical experiments.” Cole, who underwent a double mastectomy at 15 and was on puberty blockers and testosterone starting at 13, urged parents and politicians to utilize the database to protect children from being rushed into irreversible medical treatments.