Connecticut Children’s Agrees to End Gender-Related Medical Interventions for Minors
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice that will end certain gender-related medical interventions for patients under 18, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries.
The agreement follows a federal investigation and comes approximately one year after the hospital announced it was winding down its youth gender care program amid an increasingly complex legal and regulatory environment.
As part of the settlement, Connecticut Children’s agreed to pay a monetary penalty and dedicate an additional $500,000 in medical care for former patients experiencing harmful consequences associated with previous gender-related treatment.
The Department of Justice described the agreement as part of a broader effort to scrutinize medical interventions involving minors. Similar agreements have been reached with Texas Children’s Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
The settlement does not represent a legal finding that Connecticut Children’s violated federal law. According to the Justice Department, the claims resolved through the agreement remain allegations, there has been no determination of liability, and Connecticut Children’s has denied the allegations.
The decision comes amid an ongoing national debate over how gender dysphoria should be treated in children and adolescents. Federal officials have raised concerns about the risks and long-term consequences of medical interventions for minors, while transgender advocacy organizations and several major U.S. medical organizations continue to oppose restrictions on access to these treatments.
Connecticut Children’s had already announced in 2025 that it would wind down its gender care program for patients under 19, citing the long-term sustainability of the program within an evolving healthcare and regulatory landscape.
As policies, medical guidance, and legal challenges continue to develop, the Connecticut agreement represents another significant change in how pediatric gender-related medical care is being approached by major U.S. healthcare institutions.