Robert F Kennedy Jr. has announced a proposal that would ban gender-affirming care for trans youth across the United States. He shared the news in a press conference on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services on 18 December. He said: “Under my leadership, and answering President Trump’s call to action, the federal government will do everything in its power to stop unsafe, irreversible practices that put our children at risk.” The new measures involve banning any hospitals providing gender-affirming healthcare – including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery – for trans youth from participating in Medicare and Medicaid programmes, and prohibiting Medicaid funds and the Children’s Health Insurance Program from covering gender-affirming care for youths. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz added: “Children deserve our protection, not experimental interventions performed on them that carry life-altering risks with no reliable evidence...