Detransitioner Chloe Cole shares complications after gender procedures: 'I am grieving'

Washington, DC — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday announced a broad package of proposed regulatory actions aimed at ending gender-affirming procedures for minors. The actions, linked to a January executive order from President Donald Trump, would be designed to shield children from what administration officials describe as chemical and surgical mutilation. An HHS official said the policy updates would defund hospitals that provide gender transition procedures as part of the department’s broader enforcement and policy plan.

Detransitioner Chloe Cole, now 21 and California-born, joined HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other officials at the announcement. Cole said she underwent medical transition from female to male between ages 12 and 16, including puberty blockers, testosterone, and a double mastectomy. After the event, she told Fox News Digital that those treatments have irreversibly affected her health and that the process was not accompanied by sufficient inquiry into potential risks.

'As soon as gender was in the picture, none of my doctors or psychologists asked the real questions that they should have,' Cole said. 'The entire focus was on my feelings and what I wanted rather than what I really needed in that moment.'

She recalled that her doctors reportedly focused on the perceived benefits of blocking puberty and promoting certain physical changes, with little discussion of risks. 'There was nothing they could say to me that would make me understand the gravity of what I was about to go through, because I was still growing up,' she said. Cole noted that her parents, who she said never believed she was transgender, felt pressure and that resources available at the time did not adequately address the realities of transgender care for children.

Cole has described ongoing health challenges stemming from the medications and surgeries she underwent as a teenager. In her account, she said her fertility status remains unknown and that she will not be able to breastfeed because her breasts were removed. 'As an adult, I am now grieving, and the areolar skin grafts used in my surgery began to fail two years afterward. I must wear bandages on my chest every day,' she wrote in a statement.

In 2023, Cole filed a lawsuit with the Center for American Liberty against hospitals she alleges pushed her into medical procedures she views as mutilation. Mark Trammell of CAL called Thursday’s HHS announcements a sign that medicine must return to its core ethical obligation: 'First, do no harm.' He said the group would continue pursuing accountability for institutions involved and seek justice for children and detransitioners whose lives were altered by their care.

Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News medical analyst, told Fox News Digital that a more conservative approach toward minors could reduce long-term risks. 'Long-term effects of puberty blockers may include bone loss, trouble concentrating, interference with learning and fertility,' he said. 'I think it makes sense in most cases to treat underlying mental health concerns before jumping into treatments, including surgery, that may be difficult to reverse.' He added that gender issues should not be politicized and cautioned against pressuring physicians to act in a particular direction.

Cole, who began transition at age 12 and underwent a double mastectomy at 15, has urged others with questions about gender care to seek family support and proceed cautiously. 'While there are only two sexes, there are a million different ways that you can be yourself,' she said. 'God is there for you. He is the one who has created you this way, and you can seek his counsel.' She encouraged questioning youths to wait and to rely on family guidance.

The HHS actions come as the department outlines a broader policy framework to address minors' access to gender-affirming care. Officials said the proposed regulations would limit or withdraw federal support for procedures and treatments for minors that the administration argues are unproven or unsafe, reinforcing the administration’s focus on protecting children from potential harm. The department stressed that the regulatory push is a response to concerns raised by health professionals, patient advocates, and some policymakers about the safety and efficacy of such interventions in youths. The department did not indicate when any final rules would be issued, or how many facilities would be affected, but described the proposed actions as the beginning of a multi-month regulatory process.

The Fox News Digital team contributed to this report.