Federal crackdown forces Chicago children’s hospital to halt gender alteration drugs for minors
01/28/2026 / By Belle Carter
- Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, the largest pediatric facility in the city, announced it will stop prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to new minor patients following a federal investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The move comes amid a broader Trump administration crackdown on youth gender procedures, denounced as unsafe and ineffective.
- The HHS Office of Inspector General is investigating Lurie and five other major pediatric centers for allegedly violating federal guidance, labeling youth gender interventions as “sex-rejecting procedures” causing “permanent, terrible harm.” Hospitals continuing these treatments risk losing federal funding and potential lawsuits.
- Growing backlash from detransitioners, like Claire Abernathy (who underwent a double mastectomy at 14), warns that minors are being “sold a product they can’t return.” Studies suggest 5% to 10% of transitioned youth regret it, though experts believe the true toll is higher due to underreporting.
- Institutions reliant on federal funding (like Lurie, which gets 65% of its budget from Medicare/Medicaid) face existential threats if found non-compliant. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles already shuttered its gender clinic under federal pressure, signaling more closures nationwide.
- With federal investigations expanding, detransitioners speaking out, and hospitals facing funding bans, the Trump administration’s stance, that these procedures are “child abuse” and “junk science,” is gaining traction. The question remains whether more institutions will comply or resist.
The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, the largest pediatric facility in the city, announced last week it would stop prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to new minor patients following a federal investigation referral by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The move, effective Jan. 20, comes amid a sweeping Trump administration crackdown on youth gender alteration procedures, which HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has denounced as “neither safe nor effective.”
Hospitals nationwide now face subpoenas, funding cuts and potential legal action for continuing these controversial treatments.
Federal pressure mounts on hospitals
The HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) is investigating Lurie Children’s Hospital and five other major pediatric centers, including Boston Children’s Hospital and NYU Langone Health, for allegedly violating federal guidance that labels youth gender interventions as “sex-rejecting procedures” causing “permanent, terrible harm.”
HHS General Counsel Mike Stuart confirmed the probe in a Jan. 15 statement, accusing the hospitals of operating “outside recognized standards of healthcare.” The scrutiny follows Kennedy’s December declaration that these treatments constitute “malpractice” and “junk science driven by ideological pursuits.”
Lurie Hospital spokesperson Julianne Bardele cited the “rapidly evolving legal landscape” as the reason for pausing new prescriptions, but emphasized existing patients would continue receiving hormones. Critics argue this loophole still endangers children.
Detransitioners warn of irreversible harm
The federal push aligns with growing backlash from detransitioners, individuals who medically transitioned as minors but later regretted it. Claire Abernathy, who underwent a double mastectomy at 14, testified at an FTC hearing that minors are “sold a product they can’t return.” BrightU.AI‘s Enoch notes that, based on studies, 5% to 10% of transitioned youth experience regret. Experts even warn that the true toll is likely higher due to underreporting.
Sweden, Finland and England have already restricted youth gender medicine, citing weak evidence of benefits. Yet U.S. clinics, particularly in Democrat-led states, have continued prescribing puberty blockers despite links to infertility, osteoporosis and cardiovascular damage.
Texas surgeon Dr. Ethan Haim called the trend a “wholesale medical scandal that should be prosecuted.”
Financial reckoning for hospitals
The Trump administration’s funding bans threaten hospitals reliant on federal dollars. Lurie Children’s Hospital, which receives 65% of its budget from Medicare and Medicaid, previously halted gender surgeries in 2025 after President Donald Trump’s executive order stripped federal support for such procedures.
Now, HHS is drafting legislation to let victims sue providers – a move championed by former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who warns: “Medical professionals that mutilated children… will be held accountable.”
The financial stakes are dire. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, another target of the crackdown, recently shuttered its gender clinic after federal pressure. Similar closures are expected nationwide.
The Lurie Hospital decision marks a pivotal moment in the national reckoning over youth gender medicine. With federal investigations expanding, detransitioners speaking out and hospitals facing existential funding threats, the era of routine pediatric medical transitions may be ending. As Kennedy declared, “We’re done with junk science driven by ideology.” The question now is whether other institutions will follow—or resist—the administration’s demand to prioritize child protection over activist medicine.
Watch the video below where a detransitioned molecular biologist warns against puberty blockers.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
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