Planned Parenthood’s involvement in the cross-sex hormone business for those with gender dysphoria has increased at a concerning rate in recent years. Since beginning these drugs, referred to as “gender-affirming care” in 2005, 41 of its 49 regional branches were offering such services by 2022. Notably, between 2020 and 2022, hormone therapy services increased by 125%. Data shows a jump from 17,036 visits in 2020 to 38,337 in 2022.
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, operating clinics in central California and parts of Nevada, reported a significant increase in “gender-affirming care” visits from 1,041 in 2020 to 4,378 in 2022, and then to 9,288 in 2023. These clinics provide hormone therapy for patients aged 18 and older, and also for 16 to 17-year-olds with parental consent.
Similarly, Planned Parenthood California Central Coast’s annual report shows 299 initial and follow-up visits for cross-sex hormones for the fiscal year 2019-2020 and 746 in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
Michael Artigues, President of the American College of Pediatricians, attributes the recent surge in transgender services at Planned Parenthood clinics to the growing social recognition and contagion of transgenderism, coupled with potential financial motivations.
“You have to be concerned about the fact that there’s always money involved, for sure,” Artigues said. “And you’ve got to question whether or not they’re discerning if someone, in particular minors, have a legitimate condition that requires treatment like gender-affirming therapies, as opposed to a social phenomena and or simply mental health problems.”
Stella O’Malley, a psychotherapist and the executive director of Genspect, said that Planned Parenthood has shifted from a traditional medical model, which emphasizes the principle of “first, do no harm,” to a more business-oriented approach that focuses on consumer choice.
“The problem with this is that very vulnerable people who are at their lowest often need guidance and support, not a business-like exchange,” O’Malley said. “Doctors aren’t shopkeepers. They are paid very well because they’re in positions of responsibility, and so they need to meet these responsibilities by being sensitive to the needs of the patient. A one-size-fits-all approach that fast-tracks most patients onto a medicalized pathway is profoundly inappropriate.”
The market for cross-sex surgery is expected to reach a value of $5 billion in 2023, as reported by Grand View Research, largely due to an increasing number of Americans identifying as transgender.
Further, medical professionals have expressed concern about how easily accessible hormone treatment prescriptions are at Planned Parenthood. For example, the Columbia Willamette affiliate indicates on its website that hormone treatments are available for patients aged 18 and over without a recommendation letter from a counselor or doctor. Patients are able to receive a prescription following one initial appointment.
“The ‘Gender Affirming Care Patient Guide’ by Planned Parenthood Mar Monte subtly acknowledges the potential adverse effects of cross-sex hormones, noting the necessity of follow-up appointments to monitor for negative side effects. But then the guide also tacitly acknowledges the real possibility of sterility. This is evident when it provides ‘fertility resources,’ including discussions on “fertility preservation” options such as “sperm or egg banking.”
Rather than offering harmful drugs or referrals for surgery that cause permanent damage, Planned Parenthood should encourage patients to seek psychiatric care to treat the root cause of their distress. Instead, the abortion giant is prioritizing profit and a transgender ideology over evidence-based medicine and real help.
