Health Official Defends Stopping Minor Gender Transition Procedures as ‘Moral Imperative’

By Nicole Wells | Friday, 19 December 2025 11:20 AM EST

HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Brian Christine reacted forcefully Friday to the Trump administration’s push to end sex-change procedures for minors, calling the shift a moral and medical imperative grounded in science.

Christine, who is also a physician, emphasized that his reaction is rooted in medical ethics, not ideology. “As health care practitioners, our role is to first do no harm,” he stated, pointing to the oath he took as a doctor to uphold specific ethical standards.

The official expressed concern over how medical authority has been used in recent years to justify irreversible treatments for minors. “We take a Hippocratic Oath to care for people, to love them, and to give the best treatment backed by science,” Christine said.

Christine stated that the science does not support medical transition for children suffering from gender dysphoria — the feeling of distress that occurs when someone’s sex assigned at birth does not align with their perceived gender. “Science tells us that castrating chemicals and mutilating surgeries are not the way to treat these children,” he said.

He stressed that his stance is driven by concern for vulnerable children rather than political considerations. “The way to treat these vulnerable children is through compassionate mental health care and counseling,” Christine added.

Christine pushed back against critics who argue that sex-change procedures for minors are evidence-based and medically necessary. “The science is clear and the science backs up what we say,” he said, accusing opponents of being motivated by ideology rather than evidence. “They’re driven by agenda. They’re driven by ideology,” Christine declared. “We are driven by science and true care for these children.”

Reflecting on his role at HHS, Christine described the administration’s move as a clear break from the previous Democratic leadership. “My predecessor was driven by a warped ideology and a political agenda,” he said.

Christine shared that the issue is deeply personal after visiting seriously ill children receiving cutting-edge medical care. “Why did I do that?” he asked. “To show and to reiterate that Secretary [Robert F.] Kennedy and President [Donald] Trump, we support children.”

He concluded by signaling resolve in face of backlash from progressive lawmakers: “This is the fight of our lifetime,” Christine stated. “We are not going to back down because we are right. Science and law backs us up.”