Texas Children’s Hospital to Establish Detransition Clinic: Details of $10 Million Settlement Revealed
Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston is required to establish a detransition clinic for transgender patients and maintain a list of potential gender affirming care patients as per new details released by the Texas Attorney General’s Office. The hospital has 90 days to set up the detransition clinic once the settlement becomes effective. The $10 million settlement, resulting from an investigation into Texas Children’s, was announced in May and involves the creation of the nation’s first detransitioning clinic.
Detransitioning involves stopping or reversing transitioning care through social, medical, or legal means and is uncommon among individuals who have undergone hormone therapy and surgical interventions. Reasons for detransitioning may include lack of family support, financial constraints, and societal pressures. Texas Children’s must also establish a website for the detransition clinic and a donation page for those wishing to contribute to its efforts. Additionally, the hospital is required to maintain a list of potential gender affirming care patients and conduct internal reviews for compliance with laws and the settlement agreement.
The hospital has emphasized its commitment to patient privacy and compliance with HIPAA regulations. While the complete settlement document has not been finalized, a term sheet outlining the requirements has been released. Texas Children’s must remove all press releases related to gender transition services from its website and provide a range of services at the detransition clinic, including endocrinology, surgery, primary care, fertility counseling, psychiatry, and psychotherapy. Procedures considered "sex-rejecting" by the attorney general’s office, such as puberty blockers and hormone treatments, are prohibited.
Texas Children’s has stated that the services mandated in the settlement were already part of their offerings and that the detransition clinic will formalize the existing multidisciplinary care provided to all patients. A study by Harvard University found that less than 1% of minors who are transgender receive puberty blockers or hormone treatments. The hospital aims to structure and name the services they currently provide through the detransition clinic, emphasizing their commitment to delivering supportive care to all patients in need.