FTC To Probe Gender-Transitioning Treatment Amid Allegations of Deception

Hosted by the Federal Trade Commission, the event brought together physicians, parents, and federal officials who argued that gender-affirming care for minors constitutes not only medical malpractice, but a coordinated deception of the American public. From the opening remarks of FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson to the emotional testimonies of de-transitioned youth and aggrieved parents, the event framed pediatric gender medicine as a crisis of both ethics and enforcement – one in which vulnerable patients are misled, silenced, and in some cases irreparably harmed.

Now, the agency tasked with protecting consumers is stepping in. Ferguson announced that the FTC is preparing to file a Freedom of Information Act request to investigate whether gender clinics, hospitals, and advocacy organizations may be violating federal law by engaging in deceptive trade practices – including misleading patients and families about the risks, reversibility, and scientific basis of transition-related treatments.

“I am charged with protecting my fellow citizens from deceptive acts no matter how politically charged,” Ferguson said. “This issue is no different from the health claims we’ve addressed for years.”