RFK Jr overstepped in declaring gender-affirming treatments unsafe, judge rules

A federal judge ruled that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overstepped his authority when he declared gender-affirming treatments unsafe for children and adolescents. Judge Mustafa Kasubhai in Oregon granted relief to doctors providing such treatments, stating Kennedy did not follow proper procedures when issuing the declaration in December. The declaration warned against puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries, suggesting doctors providing such care could be excluded from federal health programs. Twenty-one states and Washington D.C. sued Kennedy, arguing his declaration was inaccurate and unlawful. The judge's ruling prevents the federal government from intimidating or punishing providers of gender-affirming care. This is the second negative ruling Kennedy and the Department of Health and Human Services have faced this week regarding health policy changes.

Explore how the topics in this article connect to other news stories

Discover articles with similar content using semantic similarity analysis.