The University of Michigan, along with Michigan Medicine, announced Monday that they will no longer provide gender-affirming care — including puberty blockers and hormone therapies — for individuals younger than 19, citing a federal criminal and civil investigation against the institution.
In an email to The Michigan Daily, Mary Masson, director of public relations at Michigan Medicine, confirmed the ban.
“At this time, we will be discontinuing these therapies for all individuals under the age of 19,” Masson wrote.
The shift comes as gender-affirming care has become the subject of nationwide legal battles following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January restricting such treatments for minors. The Trump administration also cut federal grants supporting transgender health research earlier this year.
While access to gender-affirming care remains legal in Michigan, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched an investigation in June into the case of a physician assistant who alleged she was fired by Michigan Medicine for requesting a religious exemption from performing gender-affirming care. In mid-July, the University and Michigan Medicine received a subpoena from the HHS as part of a national probe.
Two weeks later, on Aug. 1, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the administration’s use of criminal prosecution threats to restrict care and pressure health care providers.
In the statement issued Aug. 25, University Public Affairs officials acknowledged the seriousness of the decision and wrote it would continue working with affected patients and families.
“We recognize the gravity and impact of this decision for our patients and our community,” the statement read. “We are working closely with all those impacted, and we will continuously support the well-being of our patients, their families, and our teams. We are deeply grateful to our clinicians for their unyielding commitment to providing the highest quality care, and to all of our team members for their dedication to helping our patients, and to supporting each other, as we navigate these changes together.”
Research has found that interruptions in gender-affirming care are associated with elevated risks of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and self-harm among transgender youth. Such therapies are not unique to transgender care, and have been prescribed to treat conditions such as precocious puberty — when children begin puberty unusually early — and other pediatric endocrine conditions.
Senior News Editor Emma Spring can be reached at sprinemm@umich.edu.
