Catholic Leaders Urged to Defend Children Amid Mounting Medical Evidence of Harm
A sweeping federal review released May 1 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has delivered a devastating blow to the practice of so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors—exposing the interventions as medically unproven, ethically questionable, and deeply harmful. For Catholics concerned with the sanctity of the human body and the protection of vulnerable children, the report is both a vindication and a moral clarion call.
The Comprehensive Review of Medical Interventions for Children and Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria echoes what the Church has long taught: that we are not the authors of our bodies, and no child should be mutilated—chemically or surgically—in the name of ideology.
The review concludes that there is “very weak evidence of benefit” for puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures, while the risks are both “significant” and, in many cases, irreversible. “Our duty is to protect our nation’s children – not expose them to unproven and irreversible medical interventions,” said NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. “We must follow the gold standard of science, not activist agendas,” according to the executive summary.
This federal review confirms what faithful Catholics already know from natural law and the teachings of the Church: that medical interventions attempting to “affirm” a gender identity at odds with one’s biological sex are not acts of compassion, but of profound moral and physical harm. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear that “man and woman have been created, which is to say, willed by God: on the one hand, in perfect equality as human persons; on the other, in their respective beings as man and woman” (CCC 369).
The findings, which examined 17 systematic reviews on medical and psychological interventions, were unequivocal: “The evidence for benefit of pediatric medical transition is very uncertain, while the evidence for harm is less uncertain.” The executive summary emphasizes that medical professionals “should refuse to offer” such interventions when they pose “unnecessary, disproportionate risks of harm,” even if demanded by patients. This, it warned, is essential to protect the integrity of the medical profession and to guard against “iatrogenic harm”—injury caused by medical treatment itself.
The review reveals that these gender interventions often lead to infertility, loss of sexual function, impaired bone growth, psychiatric complications, and even heightened risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. “This means minors receiving ‘gender-affirming care’ could lose the ability to have children or function sexually before being old enough to drive or vote,” the review warns.
As Catholics, we understand that the human body is not a problem to be solved, but a gift to be received with gratitude. Saint Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body teaches us that the human body speaks a language—the truth of being male or female—and to contradict that truth is to reject the Creator.
The HHS findings align with the recent Cass Review in the U.K., which led to a ban on puberty blockers for minors, and with a growing international consensus. Still, the United States has lagged behind in confronting this moral and medical crisis. The review notes that the public testimonies of “detransitioners” are rarely studied, despite their clear relevance. The authors write: “The true rate of regret is not known and better data collection is needed,” even as anecdotal evidence mounts from young people who now mourn what was taken from them—fertility, sexual health, and hope for a future unscarred by adult deception.
One of the most damning findings is the review’s rebuttal to the often-repeated claim that these procedures are “life-saving.” According to the report, “The certainty of evidence is very low regarding the effect of surgery on GD [gender dysphoria] or incongruence, improvement in mental health including suicidality and depression, and long-term outcomes such as sexual function, quality of life, and regret.”
For faithful Catholics, the implication is clear: It is not loving to affirm a lie about a child’s identity. It is not merciful to sterilize, maim, or deceive a young person. It is not justice to stand silently by while children become victims of a medical system captured by ideology.
President Donald Trump, in signing the Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation executive order on January 28, had foreshadowed the review’s findings. Now, as the facts come into full view, the faithful must act—not only with prayer, but with bold witness. We must call on legislators to ban these interventions for minors, support parents seeking truth and healing, and provide authentic pastoral care rooted in the dignity of the human person.
In the words of Christ Himself: “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them” (Matthew 19:14). May we, as a Church, never be complicit in harming the little ones He loves.
