FTC, states sue leading transgender health organization

The Federal Trade Commission and four states are suing the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, or WPATH, for what the agency described as false and misleading statements about treatments for children diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

WPATH describes itself as a nonprofit dedicated to fostering the health of those who identify as transgender, according to the organization’s website.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, asserts that WPATH omitted mention of age limits for irreversible genital and breast removal procedures in its 2022 Standards of Care. The complaint also alleges WPATH fails to disclose medical information about long-term side effects and serious risks associated with surgeries and hormone injections, while lobbying insurance companies to cover such procedures as medically necessary.

Which states joined the lawsuit? Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas joined the complaint, and supplied what they characterized as evidence of harm to minors in their states. The states appealed to consumer protection laws to bring action against WPATH, which has chapters based in the United States. They asked the federal district court to award civil penalties and issue a permanent injunction blocking WPATH from what the states described as false advertising in medical services.

The lawsuit cites a 2025 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that found the medical evidence supporting WPATH’s guidance for treating gender dysphoria in minors was weak.

What does WPATH have to say? The organization issued a statement on Wednesday, challenging the FTC’s jurisdiction to sue. It appealed to a ruling last month when a D.C. federal judge blocked the FTC’s request for internal documents.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on detransitioners testifying to Congress about the harms of transgender procedures.