What the ASPS Announced
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons issued a clear recommendation on February 3, 2026 asking that gender transition surgeries not be performed on people under 19 years of age. The group represents more than 11,000 board certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Their stated reason is simple and scientific sounding. They say the available evidence is low quality and does not show that benefits outweigh harms for endocrine or surgical interventions in children and adolescents.
Why This Matters
This is about more than politics. Surgeries for chest, genital, and facial changes are permanent. The ASPS highlights uncertainties about long term mental health outcomes and growing reports of physical complications and regret. When treatments change bodies forever, caution is not optional. It is a responsibility to protect young people while science catches up.
How This Breaks With Other Medical Groups
Not every medical association agrees. Some groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society have supported certain gender affirming treatments for minors in selected cases. The ASPS took a different path by explicitly prioritizing what it calls scientific rigor over other pressures. That divergence matters because it shows the debate is not settled among professionals.
International Context and Reviews
Across the Atlantic, several countries have already pulled back or slowed similar treatments. Independent reviews such as the Cass Report in the United Kingdom and official reviews in Sweden and Finland raised caution about rushing into surgeries and long term hormone use for youth. The ASPS statement echoes that more cautious, evidence based approach.
Policy and Legal Implications
Expect this decision to ripple into state and federal policymaking. Nearly half of U.S. states have restrictions on surgeries or hormones for minors already. Federal officials, including leaders at the Department of Health and Human Services, praised the ASPS position for putting child safety first. That alignment could strengthen legal challenges against providers who perform these procedures on minors.
Ethics, Compassion, and Clinical Practice
The ASPS emphasizes ethical care that balances compassion with developmental realities. They also stress respect for all patients including those who detransition or feel regret. The recommendation is forward looking. It is not a criminal judgment on past cases but a call for responsible, evidence based self regulation in plastic surgery.
What Parents and Providers Should Know
Parents need clear information and time to make decisions that will affect their children for life. Providers must weigh the limited evidence and potential for irreversible harm. The ASPS stance says if the science is uncertain, delay until adulthood when people can consent to permanent changes. That seems like a modest, common sense guardrail.
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JIMMY
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