US Department of Health and Human Services releases final report on youth gender dysphoria

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the final, peer-reviewed version of its report, Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices. This publication updates the initial HHS Review, which was released on May 1, 2025. The Review and all supporting documents have been updated, most importantly with a new 241-page Supplement containing nine external peer reviews and the Review’s formal responses, including a review from the American Psychiatric Association. Together, these materials represent the most extensive and substantive published debate to date on the evidentiary and ethical issues surrounding pediatric gender medicine.

Following the completion of the peer-review, the final HHS Review has also been updated with the names of the nine contributors, whose expertise spans evidence-based medicine, health services research, psychiatry, endocrinology, bioethics, philosophy, and public policy. Evgenia (Zhenya) Abbruzzese, co-founder and senior advisor to SEGM, served on this interdisciplinary team in her individual capacity.

SEGM made the following statement on the report:

“This publication marks an important milestone in the ongoing effort to ensure that gender-dysphoric youth receive care that is both evidence-based and ethically grounded—SEGM’s core mission since its inception in 2019. SEGM’s work has focused primarily on assessing the scientific evidence underlying pediatric gender transition. However, evidence alone does not dictate clinical or policy decisions. 

A key step of evidence-based policymaking is the process of assessing the risk-benefit ratio of a medical intervention. The HHS Review provides that step, offering a formal bioethical analysis that weighs the potential benefits and harms of pediatric gender transition. The HHS Review does not prescribe specific policies but instead provides a rigorous, evidence-based ethical framework to guide policy decisions.

SEGM is currently reviewing the updated HHS report and the Supplement. We look forward to sharing our analysis of the final HHS report in a future Spotlight.”

Read the final HHS Review here: https://opa.hhs.gov/gender-dysphoria-report. 
The supplement with peer reviews is available here: https://opa.hhs.gov/gender-dysphoria-report-peer-reviews.

About the Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM): The Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting safe, ethical, and evidence-informed care for children, adolescents, and young adults with gender dysphoria. SEGM collaborates with clinicians and researchers worldwide to strengthen the evidence base, improve clinical practice, and foster transparent, science-driven dialogue in the field of gender medicine. www.segm.org