YNHH Ends Gender-Affirming Care For Youth

By Dereen Shirnekhi, Laura Glesby and Paul Bass, New Haven Independent

NEW HAVEN, CT — They didn’t want to do it, but they felt they had no choice.

That’s the upshot of a letter sent to parents of gender non-conforming children, after Yale Medicine and Yale New Haven Hospital’s pediatric gender program announced that it would no longer prescribe gender-affirming medications for patients under 19.

Those gender-affirming medications include puberty blockers and hormone therapy.

“We have been carefully monitoring federal executive orders and administrative actions relating to gender-affirming care for patients under age 19,” reads Yale’s letter to parents, which the Independent was able to acquire. “After a thorough assessment of the current environment, we have made the very difficult decision to modify the pediatric gender program to eliminate the medication treatment component of the gender-affirming program for patients under age 19.

“We recognize the profound impact this decision will have on the patients and families we serve. This was not an easy decision, nor one made lightly. We remain committed to offering mental health services and support in a compassionate care environment to all our impacted patients.

The letter concludes by informing parents and patients that a provider will be in touch regarding a “transition plan for your/your child’s care.” It is signed by Clifford W. Bogue, chief of pediatrics of the Yale New Haven Health system, and Beth Heinz, senior vice president of Women’s & Children’s Services for Yale New Haven Health.

Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) is the largest health system in Connecticut.

The decision stunned and rattled parents whose kids are served by Yale Medicine’s Pediatric Gender Clinic.

“There has been a knot in my stomach since I read the news this morning,” said Lisa Yelon, a New Haven parent of a nonbinary teen who receives care (though not medication) at the clinic.

“More than 100 messages have been exchanged on a parent listserv today expressing outrage, anger, and fear. We all want what is best for our kids, and gender-affirming care has been proven to be crucial for the wellbeing of non-binary and trans kids. I feel really let down by Yale Medicine. We will continue to stand up for our kids, and Yale Medicine should stand with us.”

Yale’s decision comes a day after Connecticut Children’s Hospital announced that it would be “winding down” its youth gender program, due to pressure from the Trump administration. The two hospitals are the largest providers of gender-affirming care in the state.

Further, in a statement provided to the Independent, YNHH Communications Specialist Dana Marnane said, “With specialists including pediatric-trained endocrinologists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, the program provided options that included medication treatment, when indicated following a thorough assessment, for its patients experiencing gender dysphoria.

“The program did not include surgical interventions.”

A leading state activist on LGBTQ issues said Yale New Haven’s leadership faced a tough decision.

“Two-thirds of their funding is Medicaid/Medicare and Yale New Haven Health’s legal team exists to reduce the institution’s liability,” said the activist, Out Accountability Project founder Melissa Combs. “I am grateful that they kept the program open, unlike CCMC, who completely shut theirs down and canceled appointments, so we can continue to have access to the doctors my child trusts and the entire YGP staff who has not stopped fighting for our children despite this setback.”

Combs argued that “everyone in this country” has a stake in healthcare institutions making politically motivated decisions about evidence-based, medically necessary, and legally protected care. They should be standing up in defense of trans youth because this could be at their doorstep tomorrow.”

“I can’t fathom why any healthcare organization would turn anyone away,” said Lou Perno, interim director of the New Haven Pride Center, on Thursday.

Laura Boccadoro, the operations director for the Pride Center, said, “Yale is supposed to be such an inclusive space. It baffles me that they would completely disappear for LGBTQ+ youth. … It sends a message because they’re such a big institution. It’s not a representation of who New Haven is.”

The news is “disappointing,” they said, especially given that smaller healthcare organizations with fewer resources are finding ways to continue supporting trans youth.

When trans teens are denied gender affirming care “it can be life threatening” due to mental health impacts, Boccadoro said.

Connecticut joins states across the country that have seen rollbacks in gender-affirming care for patients under 19, as the Trump administration has stripped protections for trans youth. President Donald Trump signed a Jan. 28 executive order stating that the federal government “will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child [someone under 19 years old] from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.” A June Supreme Court decision upheld a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors, leaving access to care up to the states.

The letter sent Thursday to parents.

The New Haven Independent is a not-for-profit public-interest daily news site founded in 2005.