SALT LAKE CITY, UT; April 20, 2026 – Today, Do No Harm sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) calling on the agency to investigate whether the American Psychological Association (APA) is engaged in deceptive practices in the wake of the organization’s contradictory guidance on sex-rejecting interventions for children.
The letter calls out the APA for seemingly walking back a more cautious 2025 public comment to the FTC regarding so-called “gender-affirming care” for children and instead doubling down on its earlier policy statement that advocates for minors’ unobstructed access to sex-rejecting interventions.
The APA’s 2025 letter admits that there is a “lack of long-term scientific evidence” supporting child sex change procedures, preaches a more conservative, questioning approach to youth gender dysphoria, and concedes that not all youth who experience gender dysphoria will persist with it into adulthood. Meanwhile, the 2024 statement endorses an affirmation-only approach to treating gender dysphoria, equating “non-affirmation” with “violence” and “discrimination.”
“The American Psychological Association appears to be contradicting itself to have its cake and eat it too: attempting to protect against regulatory action for promoting experimental and dangerous adolescent sex-change interventions, while also staving off anger from the radical gender activists who have captured the organization,” said Kurt Miceli, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Do No Harm. “By promoting two irreconcilable positions, the APA is deceiving the FTC, psychologists, and minor patients and their guardians. Make no mistake, the APA’s original policy position pushes for unobstructed access to sex-rejecting interventions for children, equates non-affirmation with violence, and condemns state protections as human rights violations. By recently doubling down on that position, the APA is contradicting its more measured comments to the FTC, which encourages caution and comprehensive psychological assessments rather than medical intervention. This raises serious questions about the APA’s maneuvering and if serious regulatory action is in order. As the FTC continues to investigate WPATH, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Endocrine Society for potentially deceptive practices in ‘gender-affirming care,’ we recommend that it launch a similar investigation into the APA.”
Contrary to the APA’s claim that the two statements are consistent, Do No Harm’s letter explains they “clearly and irreconcilably conflict” with each other. Do No Harm calls on the FTC to investigate whether the APA made “false or unsubstantiated representations” about pediatric gender interventions.
In recent months, the FTC launched investigations into whether the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the Endocrine Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics are engaged in deceptive practices regarding pediatric medical transition.
See Do No Harm’s letter to the FTC here.
Do No Harm, established in April 2022, has rapidly gained recognition and made significant strides in its mission to safeguard healthcare from ideological threats. It has over 50,000 members, including doctors, nurses, physicians, and concerned citizens across all 50 states and 14 countries.
