A young woman who medically transitioned as a teenager has delivered powerful testimony on the irreversible health consequences she now faces, as the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced major policy changes.
"I Was Still Growing Up": A Lifelong Impact
Chloe Cole, aged 21, spoke publicly on Thursday, detailing her journey which began at age 12. She started taking puberty blockers, received a double mastectomy at 15, and began the process of de-transitioning at 17. She appeared alongside HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the department unveiled updates aimed at cutting federal funding to hospitals performing gender transition procedures on minors.
Cole argued that once the topic of gender identity entered discussions with healthcare professionals, critical questions ceased. "The entire focus was on my feelings and what I wanted, not what I truly needed," she stated. She believes what she actually needed was love and affirmation as a "young, tomboyish little girl."
She claimed doctors emphasised the perceived benefits of halting female puberty and starting testosterone—like body hair and muscle growth—while failing to properly explain the risks. "I had very little experience in the world, and I simply would not be mature enough to be equipped to undergo such a life-changing procedure," Cole explained.
Parental Pressure and Lasting Consequences
Cole said her parents never truly believed she was transgender but felt pressured to support her wishes. She noted they were warned she might commit suicide if they refused treatment, forcing them to decide "under duress." "No parent or adult should have the right to consent to chemically sterilizing or mutilating a child," she asserted.
The physical and emotional toll is ongoing. Her fertility remains uncertain, she will never be able to breastfeed, and she reported that skin grafts from her surgery began failing two years later, requiring daily bandages. "As an adult, I'm grieving... My quality of life is still being impacted," Cole said.
Policy Shift and Broader Debate
The proposed HHS rules stem from a January executive order by President Donald Trump, directing the agency to protect children from what he termed "chemical and surgical mutilation." The measures would restrict puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries for children within federally funded healthcare.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared, "This is not medicine, it is malpractice," arguing children lack the capacity to consent to irreversible decisions. Dr Mehmet Oz, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, also spoke, criticising the high costs of such procedures and claiming they financially benefit providers while harming children.
Mark Trammell of the Center for American Liberty (CAL), which is supporting Cole's lawsuit against the hospitals involved, said the announcement "represents a critical acknowledgment that experimental medical interventions on children with gender distress have failed to meet basic standards."
Cole concluded with a message to young people questioning their identity: "While there are only two sexes, there are a million different ways that you can be yourself... connect with your family, build your purpose in this world." Her testimony marks a significant moment in the intensifying national debate over youth gender medicine.
