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Doctors under pressure as U-M ends gender-affirming care for minors

Dr. Paul Benson has treated patients in the LGBTQ+ community since the early 1980s. At 72, he plans to continue care to minors, despite threats from the Trump administration, but — he adds — he won’t go to jail over it. Photo credit: Brayan Gutierrez for Bridge Michigan.

Editor note: This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan��(bridgemi.com), a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free Bridge Michigan newsletter ��().” 

by Robin Erb, Bridge Michigan

The University of Michigan doctors will end gender-affirming care for minors under “escalating external threats and risks” of civil and criminal prosecution.

“The University of Michigan, including Michigan Medicine, is one of multiple institutions across the country that has received a federal subpoena as part of a criminal and civil investigation into gender-affirming care for minors,” read a .

“In light of that investigation, and given escalating external threats and risks, we will no longer provide gender affirming hormonal therapies and puberty blocker medications for minors,” it continued.

The Ann Arbor-based school also posted a on its patient webpage, directing the message to “gender diverse patients under the age of 19.” It notes “unprecedented legal and regulatory threats to our clinicians and our institution.”

The statement ran under the same photo that months ago topped a page stating that U-M transgender care “is informed by evidence based professional guidelines for the care of gender diverse youth, including mental health and medical services to meet a person gender goals.”

At the time, the page read, the Gender Services team that serves “transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse children and adolescents” would see “patients and families at any point in their process.”

A University of Michigan spokesperson did not answer Bridge questions about the number of minor patients in its care nor about the nature of the “escalating external threats and risks,” or who received them.

Spokesperson Mary Masson said, however, that the university will make referrals to other doctors for “gender diverse” patients and continue to provide other services, such as behavioral health and social work.

“We recognize the gravity and impact of this decision for our patients and our community. We are working closely with all those impacted, and we will continuously support the well-being of our patients, their families, and our teams,” the statement read.

The move is not altogether surprising.

Universities have faced increased pressure from the Trump administration to end what Trump calls “.” Within eight days of taking office, he signed an and has threatened to prosecute health care providers who provide transgender care — what the executive order calls “chemical and surgical mutilation” — to minors.

Such care is legal in Michigan, but . Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and others have argued that the Trump administration is overstepping its authority. She and a coalition of more than a dozen other attorneys general filed against the Trump administration, arguing against its efforts to restrict access to transgender care to minors.

On Tuesday, she called U-M announcement “shameful, dangerous, and potentially illegal.”

Earlier this year, and backed off diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, too, under federal pressure. And universities have continued to in crucial research areas.

A few universities have against the to change policies, but federal pressure — and threats — . Spokespeople for both Wayne State and Michigan State universities said their doctors do not provide hormone therapy and puberty blockers for transgender care.

Equality Michigan, which advocates for LGBTQ+ people, said members were “deeply disappointed and concerned” by U-M most recent decision. It called it “yet another alarming move by a major healthcare institution to walk away from its responsibility to serve all patients — including some of our most vulnerable young people.”

“Even in making this harmful decision, the University of Michigan appears to acknowledge the legitimacy and value of gender-affirming care. Yet, it has chosen to retreat. This sends a chilling and damaging message to the very young people who most need affirmation, stability, and support,” said Erin Knott, executive director of Equality Michigan, according to the statement.

The change may put pressure on other doctors, who also are watching developments in Washington.

Dr. Latonya Riddle-Jones used to see patients as young as 15 at Detroit-based Corktown Health, a clinic providing care to LGBTQ+ people.

She stepped away for some time to teach, and when she returned earlier this year, Corktown had decided against seeing pediatric patients, in part, because of federal pressure, she said. Corktown relies on federal funding, as do many other providers — whether through research dollars, grant funding, or Medicaid or a combination of them.

“The threats from the (Trump) administration are working,” she said.

Still, she and others say they can still provide other services — social work, counseling and treatment for anxiety and .

“There is more to gender affirming care than and ,” she said.

Dr. Paul Benson has been providing care to LGBTQ+ patients since the 1980s. That includes thousands of adult patients of the Be Well Medical Center in Berkley who now receive transgender care, along with “a few” teenagers and adolescents.

For now, the care will continue, he said. Like Riddle-Jones, he said hormone therapy is one component of a larger treatment plan that includes counseling. And for the most part, he advises against puberty blockers for minors, he said.

“I explain to people that transgender first starts from your heart,” he said. “You can be a true transgender person in transition without hormone therapies when you’re young.”

Especially for prepubescent patients, they can dress as they wish or use the pronouns they wish, without medication. His private practice has “never endorsed” surgical care until adulthood, he said.

By Tuesday morning, Benson had already heard from a parent of a U-M patient, seeking a continuation of care as the U-M treatment ends. Other doctors continue to provide care, but for how long depends on how much they rely on the federal government for funding — whether through grants or Medicaid.

And there something else, he said.

“I would — without a heartbeat — continue to provide all this care, except for one thing,” he said. “I’m 72 years old. I don’t want to live my life in jail — I’m not going to … jail over this.

This first appeared on and is republished here under a .

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.