FTC, States Sue World Professional Association for Transgender Health Over Deceptive Claims Regarding the Treatment of Children

The Federal Trade Commission, along with Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas, today filed a lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), alleging the organization has provided the means for medical providers to make false and unsubstantiated claims to parents in order to sell pediatric medical transition services. WPATH, an association of clinicians who profit from pediatric medical transition services, recommended medical interventions, including drugs and surgery, for children and adolescents who expressed dissatisfaction with or distress about their sex traits. In their complaint, the FTC and its state partners allege that these recommendations misled parents and children about the medical consensus and medical necessity, as well as the safety and effectiveness, of such services, in violation of the FTC Act. “Today, the FTC filed a lawsuit against WPATH alleging that the organization made false and unsubstantiated claims regarding the necessity, effectiveness and safety of puberty blockers, hormones and sex-change surgeries,” said Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson. “Children, but especially their parents, must have complete and truthful information when making decisions to purchase medical services. For decades, the FTC has taken action against entities that make deceptive and unsubstantiated health-related claims. The complaint filed today reflects that same long-standing mandate: when an entity makes a claim about a medical treatment, the claim must be truthful, evidence-based and not misleading.” In 2022, WPATH omitted all mention of age limitations for breast amputation or penis removal from the “Standards of Care” document providing the organization’s official recommendations for treating sex-trait-related dissatisfaction or distress in children. As alleged in the complaint, WPATH did not base this decision on medical evidence. “When an organization provides guidance designed to mislead families about the risks, benefits, or medical consensus behind a treatment, it undermines trust in those responsible for providing medical care,” said Commissioner Mark R. Meador. “Our action today is a straightforward application of the law to ensure that families receive accurate, evidence-based information as they seek to make some of the most important healthcare decisions for their children.” The complaint further alleges that WPATH failed to disclose side effects of certain pediatric medical transition services, including that cross-sex hormones can cause mood disturbances, vocal pain and limitations, pelvic pain, clitoral discomfort, vaginal pain, inability to orgasm, incontinence and erectile pain.   As described in the complaint, in several instances, parents seeking help for their children were asked by clinicians whether they “would rather have a live daughter or a dead son,” based on WPATH representations that pediatric medical transition services are “lifesaving.” As the complaint argues, there is no competent and reliable scientific evidence to suggest these interventions reduce the risk of suicide. WPATH claims its recommendations represent “consensus-based expert opinion.” This leads WPATH members and other clinicians to repeat to consumers false, misleading or unsubstantiated statements about safety and efficacy found in WPATH guidelines, according to the complaint. According to the complaint, despite the absence of competent and reliable scientific evidence, WPATH’s guidelines label nearly every pediatric transition service as “medically necessary” to maximize the likelihood that insurers will pay for the pediatric transition procedures. “Any group that illegally promotes irreversible, life-altering ‘transitioning’ procedures to kids as safe and necessary will face the full force of the law for harming children,” said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. “We will not allow WPATH or any other organization to illegally promote or perform dangerous ‘transitioning’ procedures on our kids that leave them with permanent trauma and lifelong health consequences.” Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said: “WPATH has long represented itself as the final authority for the gender-related treatment of children, advancing profit-driven ideology unsupported by science and withholding crucial information from children, parents and doctors. We’re proud to work with the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to hold WPATH accountable for deceiving parents and medical professionals and causing harm to children in Nebraska and nationwide.” Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said: “WPATH recommends permanent irreversible treatments and surgeries on children without solid medical science. Patients and their families have been deceived into believing the organization is an authoritative, medical body, when, in truth, their recommendations are based on politics and ideology. Parents and children deserve better.” Alaska Acting Attorney General Cori Mills said: “Our laws demand rea