UW Health Suspends Transgender Procedures for Children
It remains unclear whether UW Health intends for the pause to be permanent.
UW Health and Children’s Wisconsin have suspended transgender procedures for children.
The decision came after the Trump administration announced plans to block Medicaid and Medicare funding at hospitals that perform gender reassignment procedures on minors last month.
UW Health told The Madison Federalist, “Due to recent federal actions, UW Health is pausing prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy as part of gender-affirming care for patients under 18 years of age. We recognize the uncertainty faced by our impacted patients and families seeking this gender-affirming care and will continue to support their health and well-being.”
“UW Health is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate and patient-centered care to our patients and families, including LGBTQ+ patients.”
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, patients started receiving phone calls last week informing them that the hospital will no longer provide transgender services to minors.
It remains unclear whether UW Health intends for the pause to be permanent.
The Pediatric and Adolescent Transgender Health clinic at UW Health was founded in 2013 and provided “services to children of all ages.” Treatments offered by PATH include “gender-affirming” hormone therapy, puberty suppression, and mental health counseling.
The Madison Federalist previously reported that six Wisconsin school districts have promoted the PATH clinic. The clinic’s website included “chest masculinization surgery” until February 2025, but references to the procedure were wiped.
Do No Harm medical director Kurt Miceli told the Federalist that pediatric transgender clinic closures are “a welcome development” and “represent a step toward safeguarding children from radical gender ideology and irreversible medical procedures that have caused harm to many.”