The Lawsuit and Its Allegations
The Federal Trade Commission and four states sued the World Professional Association for Transgender Health on Wednesday, alleging the influential medical organization misled parents and doctors about the safety, effectiveness and necessity of transgender medical treatments for minors. Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas filed the lawsuit alongside the FTC.
The complaint centers on claims that WPATH made deceptive statements about puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and sex change surgeries while failing to adequately disclose potential risks and side effects. According to the lawsuit, WPATH removed age-based recommendations for certain transgender procedures from its Standards of Care and promoted treatments that were not adequately supported by evidence regarding their safety and effectiveness.
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson stated the core issue in a post on X: "Parents have a right to make informed decisions about their children's health. The FTC will not allow parents and children to be deceived by medical organizations and providers who are prioritizing profit over children's health and safety."
WPATH's Defense and Prior Court Ruling
WPATH rejected the allegations and said its standards are intended to support individualized patient care. In a statement, the organization said its guidelines call for care that is tailored to individual patients, rather than a "one size fits all" approach. The group noted that it has established widely accepted medical standards for gender-affirming care for more than 50 years, based on "established scientific standards, expert consensus and patient-centered values."
The lawsuit comes after WPATH previously sued to block an FTC investigation into the organization, arguing the agency violated its First Amendment rights. A federal judge in May temporarily blocked the FTC's probe. WPATH stated it remains in a strong position to defend itself, saying "the FTC is acting out of pure retaliation as part of the federal government's relentless and targeted campaign to undermine gender-affirming care by attacking the First Amendment rights and the independence of professional medical organizations."
Broader Regulatory Push
The FTC has launched investigations into other major medical organizations over their gender-affirming care guidelines. The agency also opened investigations into the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society, both of which have sued to block those probes. The WPATH lawsuit marks the latest effort by the Trump administration to scrutinize medical interventions for transgender minors, joining a broader national debate over whether such treatments are medically necessary or carry risks that are not fully understood.
For example, the sources report that WPATH has established widely accepted medical standards for gender-affirming care for over 50 years, based on established scientific standards, expert consensus, and patient-centered values.