
DoJ subpoenas clinics and doctors who offer gender-affirming care to minors
It was not immediately clear to whom the requests were sent and the kind of information that was requested.
The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, issued a memo on 22 April saying the justice department would investigate and prosecute those who were providing transgender care to children. The memo instructed federal prosecutors 'to investigate all suspected cases of [female genital mutilation] – under the banner of so-called 'gender-affirming care' or otherwise-and to prosecute all FGM offenses to the fullest extent possible'.
Several medical associations have said that transgender care can provide lifesaving treatment for both children and adults, the Guardian has reported. A 2022 study by researchers at Stanford University found better mental health outcomes for transgender people who started receiving hormone therapy as teens compared with those who waited until they were adults.
Sign up to Headlines US
Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning
after newsletter promotion
Bondi's April memo said the department would investigate manufacturers and distributors engaged in misbranding by making false claims about the on- or off-label use of puberty blockers, sex hormones or any other drug used to facilitate a child's gender transition.
The department has yet to file charges against anyone in connection with providing transgender care. Nonetheless, the point of the investigation may be to intimidate those who provide care from doing so.
'It's meant to have a chilling effect on physicians providing access to necessary care, fearing that it will be characterized as chemical and surgical mutilation of children,' Robin Maril, a law professor at Willamette University, told NBC News in April.
In a 6-3 decision last month, the US supreme court upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. In total, 27 states have laws that limit gender-affirming care for minors, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Times
an hour ago
- Times
I was a Gen Z screen addict. Then I took drastic action
A lot can happen in seven hours. You could fly from London to Dubai, get through a full school day or enjoy a luxurious night's sleep. Me? I used to spend seven hours a day staring at my phone screen. Now I average less than one. I'm 22 and I've spent an alarming percentage of my life glued to my phone. It was everything — my entertainment, my social lifeline, my procrastination tool, my 3am therapist. I'm far from alone. Data shows that Generation Z's daily screen time is on average more than nine hours a day, which is more than any other generation. That's about 136 days a year spent staring at a screen. Meanwhile, the NHS reports a steep rise in mental health disorders among young people, which tracks closely with the explosion in digital device use.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Menopause made my hair fall out. Then I discovered a new hair-loss solution. This is the secret ALL midlife women need to know
For me, midlife has brought various indignities, as well as many joys. But standing over a sink to count the number of hairs that had come out in my brush one morning has to be among the more distressing aspects. For the record, it was 201. And why was I counting them? Because I'd searched 'how to tell if your hair is falling out' online – and according to Dr Google, anything over 100 strands was a cause for concern.


The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
WeightWatchers boss says ‘exciting work to do' amid impact of weight loss jabs
WeightWatchers was slower to adapt to the emergence of anti-obesity jabs than rivals, its boss has admitted, as the 62-year-old brand strives to catch up with rapidly evolving attitudes towards weight loss. Tara Comonte, chief executive of the US-based business, said it had a lot of work to do after going through a 'reset'. WeightWatchers recently announced it had emerged from bankruptcy after writing off a portion of the 1.15 billion US dollar (£860 million) debt on its balance sheet. It came as the business was competing with the emergence of GLP-1s – the scientific term for weight loss jabs, which work by reducing food cravings – and a new wave of apps and advice spreading on social media. Ms Comonte told the PA news agency that it 'wasn't as quick to medical weight loss solutions' as some other firms in the US, notably so-called 'telehealth' businesses that offer healthcare remotely. WeightWatchers, which runs some 20,000 workshops each month globally, is now 'at the beginning of the journey' towards forging a new place in the industry and meeting demand from current and future members, Ms Comonte said. 'This whole industry is going through somewhat of a reset and we have exciting work to do,' she told the PA news agency. 'This is a moment where, possibly more than ever before, people are talking about weight, and weight health… where people are seeking more education than ever before, and there are more voices than ever before.' Ms Comonte said the brand was known for 'trust and science' and it was important to harness that 'as there are more and more voices in the ecosystem'. WeightWatchers recently partnered with anti-obesity drugs provider CheqUp in the UK so patients taking the medication can access its 'companion' diet and lifestyle support app. It forms part of its efforts to muscle into the market by offering behavioural strategies and community-based support to people using or coming off the medication. 'There's no 'us and them' anymore,' Ms Comonte told PA, hitting back at weight loss jabs often being pitted as rivals to its model. Dr Kim Boyde, WeightWatchers' newly appointed chief medical officer, said not all its members will want or need weight loss medication – but stressed that it was 'imperative' the programme offers it to those that might benefit. Recent estimates suggest that about 1.5 million people in the UK are taking weight loss jabs. Health officials have suggested that they can help to turn the tide on obesity, but have stressed they are not a silver bullet and do come with side effects.