Penn Medicine will no longer provide gender-affirming surgery to patients under the age of 19 in line with an executive order that prohibits the use of federal funds for such procedures.
The change — which will be implemented this week — follows a January executive order signed by 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump that promises to “rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures,” and remove access to puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries for individuals under the age of 19. Penn Medicine Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President Patrick Brennan wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian that the change "pertains specifically to gender-affirming surgical procedures."
“This is a difficult decision that we know impacts patients and families who place their trust in our care teams,” Brennan wrote. “We remain deeply committed to ensuring a respectful and welcoming environment for all members of the communities we serve and providing comprehensive medical and behavioral health care and psychosocial support for LGBTQ+ individuals while complying with federal government requirements.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that while Penn Med “does not generally treat minors” with gender-affirming services, the health system notified a “small number” of affected patients. Earlier this week, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. sent a letter to healthcare affiliates, urging compliance with the January executive order. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also sent a letter on Wednesday requesting information from hospital systems in regard to "pediatric sex trait modifications performed" at their facilities.
2013 Engineering graduate and Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Krajewski (D-Philadelphia) called the decision “disappointing, unnecessary, and wrong” in a post on X.
“Gender-affirming care is healthcare,” he wrote. “It saves lives. The University must stop giving into bigoted federal demands without a fight.”
Penn Med has joined other health systems, including the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Penn State Health, in rolling back gender-affirming care programs.
The announcement comes after Penn Med quietly scrubbed or took down over half a dozen websites previously containing commitments to diverse admissions, hiring, and care practices — continuing Penn's widespread rollback of diversity programs, policies, and initiatives. Penn initially removed references to inclusion and equity in February following the federal government’s crackdown on DEI, and the new erasures come in the wake of increased federal action.
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