STREETERVILLE — Chicago’s preeminent children’s hospital will no longer prescribe gender-affirming medication to new patients younger than 18 following renewed threats from the Trump administration.
A spokesperson for Lurie Children’s Hospital, 225 E. Chicago Ave., confirmed this week the hospital has paused those treatments, a few days after Mike Stuart, Health and Human Services general counsel, said he was referring the hospital for a federal investigation.
Stuart’s announcement, posted Jan. 15 on X, is the latest in a barrage of attacks on transgender health care by federal health officials since President Donald Trump took office last year.
In January 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order that falsely characterized gender-affirming care as “chemical and surgical mutilation” and threatened to cut federal grants to providers that offer such medical services to people 18 and younger.
In December, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, announced new measures that would block federal funding for hospitals that provide gender-affirming care — although they are not yet in effect, according to NPR.
In a statement, a Lurie Children’s spokesperson confirmed any new patient younger than 18 who has not been previously treated with gender-affirming medications at the hospital will not be prescribed them “at this time.”
“As we await federal court rulings and assess the rapidly evolving legal landscape, at this time, Lurie Children’s will not initiate gender-affirming medications for patients under age 18 who have not previously been treated with these therapies by our team,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
“Actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including their announcement on January 15th of a referral for an investigation of Lurie Children’s, have resulted in this decision.”
In his post, Stuart cited hospitals in New York, Delaware, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Oregon that he was also referring for an investigation.
Protesters wave flags and listen to speakers during a protest for transgender healthcare in Seneca Park in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. Credit: Talia Sprague for Block Club Chicago
Lurie Children’s announcement this week is the latest major change the hospital has made to its gender-affirming care program for trans youth over the past year.
In February, the hospital’s decision to pause gender-affirming surgeries for people younger than 19 sparked protests and backlash from advocacy groups and activists.
Other Chicago and Illinois health care systems and hospitals have also rolled back gender-affirming care for minors over the past year, Crain’s has reported.
In a statement issued Tuesday, advocacy group Trans Up Front Illinois condemned Lurie Children’s latest decision to pause gender-affirming medication for new patients younger than 18.
“This announcement has created fear and uncertainty for transgender youth and their families. Let us be clear: This is pre-compliance. No hospital system has lost federal funding. No court has ruled. No law has changed,” according to the group. “What we are witnessing is the result of pressure designed to intimidate health care providers and families before any enforcement has occurred.”
Lurie Children’s said in its statement Stuart’s announcement and other federal actions threaten “our ability to care for all of our patients.”
“We empathize with those who are struggling with this decision and who have shown unwavering dedication to supporting gender-diverse patients. We remain committed to our patients and families and their ability to access expert medical care,” according to the hospital.
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