New Jersey Hospitals Restrict Gender-Affirming Care for Youth Amid Federal Pressure
Families in New Jersey are frustrated and scared that several prominent hospitals have suspended gender-affirming medical treatments for under-19s. Health care providers took the decision in reaction to Trump administration threats to cut funding for institutions that give children puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and related therapies.
RWJ Barnabas Health will no longer accept gender-affirming children. The hospital said only 19-year-olds can get surgery and other treatments. Clinicians can help impacted families with ongoing therapy. Virtua Medical Group will no longer treat under-19s with hormone therapy and puberty blockers but will continue to help them with mental health.
The sudden policy changes upset parents. Jane Buchanan, whose teenage son has received gender-affirming therapy for years, was dismayed by trusted doctors leaving. She said parents want their children to be safe, nurtured, and healthy, but they fear losing vital care.
All around the state, advocates fight. Over 500 parents contacted Atlantic Health System against the policy, citing New Jersey’s Constitution, Law Against Discrimination, and Governor Phil Murphy’s Executive Order 326’s trans child safeguards. State lawmakers should formalize those guarantees, advocates believe. Garden State Equality, a leading LGBTQ+ advocacy group, committed to fight for access to care and reminded families that gender-affirming treatment is legal in New Jersey despite political hurdles.
Families directly petitioned Attorney General Matt Platkin for help. Platkin has supported state gender-affirming health care, but his office declined to comment on specific requests. Atlantic Health System and Hackensack Meridian Health have not announced policies.
Trans people value youth care. Experts think puberty blockers and early medical interventions can help young people avoid more intrusive operations later in life, giving them time to make identity decisions. Supporters claim banning such care deprives youth of autonomy and endangers their health. The American Medical Association advises cautious, individualized treatment and no surgery before 18.
Still, opponents of juvenile gender-affirming treatments argue such decisions are too significant and irrevocable for children. The topic has become a flashpoint in New Jersey as “parental rights” groups battle LGBTQ+ rights in schools and public spaces. Trans families are disturbed by this issue because national statistics show startlingly high trans and nonbinary youth suicide rates.
Despite uncertainties, many families will support their children. Do you worry about losing care? Buchanan asked her child. His tenacity in saying his family and Maplewood community protected him proves that acceptance and love can assist in difficult situations.
Sources
NJ Spotlight News
Statements from RWJ Barnabas Health and Virtua Medical Group
Garden State Equality remarks
American Medical Association guidelines
