First Major Medical Group Opposes Gender Transition Surgeries for Youth + More
Source: Children’s Health Defense
First Major Medical Group Opposes Gender Transition Surgeries for Youth
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has issued a broad recommendation against gender transition surgeries for youths, becoming the first major medical association in the United States to narrow its guidance on pediatric gender care amid a crackdown by the Trump administration.
A statement sent Tuesday to the group’s 11,000 members and obtained by The Washington Post recommends surgeons delay gender-related chest, genital and facial surgery until a patient is at least 19 years old. Fewer than 1,000 minors in the United States receive such surgeries every year, according to research published in JAMA, the American Medical Association’s journal, and the vast majority of the procedures are mastectomies, not genital surgeries.
But there’s an intense debate over when young people should be able to get medical interventions as more have sought gender transition and some systematic reviews have suggested the evidence for the benefits and risks of pediatric transition is insufficient. Supporters of transition care for youths have pointed to the widespread endorsement by U.S. medical organizations.
1 in 4 Young People Using Psychotropic Drugs Are Taking Dangerous Combinations
Use of medications for mental health and behavioral conditions among children and young adults increased steadily for two decades, and about one in four young people taking these medicines were prescribed a combination that carries a risk of serious drug interactions, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. They published their findings in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
The combinations of these medications — most commonly involving antidepressants and antipsychotics — can lead to dangerous conditions that include abnormal heart rhythms, excessive sedation, or dangerously elevated serotonin levels. “While these medicines can be helpful, our research highlights the need for careful monitoring when multiple medications are used, more research on long-term safety, and better access to non-drug treatments like therapy,” said senior author Sean Hennessy, PharmD, Ph.D., a professor of Epidemiology, Systems Pharmacology, and Translational Therapeutics.
“Families should have open dialogue with their clinicians to help weigh the benefits and risks of these prescriptions and ensure regular follow-up to keep treatment safe and effective.”
Large Share of Older US Adults Haven’t Had a Recent Flu or COVID Vaccine, Poll Finds
Despite a severe influenza season and rising COVID-19 activity this winter, 42% of adults ages 50 and older remain unvaccinated, according to a new University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. The survey also highlights gaps in understanding the vaccines’ ability to reduce the risk of severe illness.
The poll, conducted from December 29, 2025, to January 13, 2026, asked 2,964 US adults ages 50 to 98 about their vaccination status and reasons for not getting vaccinated. Overall, 42% reported that they had not received either a flu or COVID vaccine in the past six months. For 49% of people over 50, it had been more than a year since their last COVID vaccine, and 15% said they had never been vaccinated against COVID.
In total, 29% said they had received both vaccines, while 27% had received just the updated flu shot. The poll findings did not include a margin of sampling error.
The leading reason people gave for not getting vaccinated was thinking they didn’t need to: 28% of older adults who didn’t get the flu vaccine in the past six months and 29% of those who didn’t get a COVID-19 vaccine in the past year (or ever) cited this as the main reason.
Merck 2026 Outlook Misses as Gardasil Sales Drop 35%
Merck & Co. struck a more cautious note for investors after outlining a 2026 outlook that came in below market expectations, with continued uncertainty around its Gardasil HPV vaccine overshadowing momentum from newer medicines. The company projected full-year sales of $65.5 billion to $67 billion and adjusted earnings of up to $5.15 a share, figures that did not assume any Gardasil shipments to China next year after shipments were previously paused through the end of 2025.
That absence reflects weaker demand in the market, rising competition from lower-priced local vaccines, and broader economic and policy pressures, factors that weighed on sentiment as the stock fell as much as 3.2% in pre-market trading despite being up 7.7% year to date through Monday’s close.
The pressure on Gardasil has been evident in recent results, with fourth-quarter sales of $1.03 billion, down 35% from a year earlier, though still ahead of more pessimistic expectations. The vaccine is also facing new headwinds in the US following a recommendation for fewer doses, which Chief Executive Officer Robert Davis has previously said could be manageable from a financial standpoint.
Wegovy and Ozempic Maker Forecasts Sharp Drop in Revenue for 2026
The maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, has predicted a sharp drop in revenues this year owing to what its boss described as a “painful” push by Donald Trump to lower US weight-loss drug prices, rising competition, and the loss of important patent protections.
Denmark’s Novo, once the poster-child for the growth in weight-loss treatments, said sales this year were likely to fall between 5% and 13%, ending years of double-digit gains, despite the promising launch of its new Wegovy pill in the US. Its share price plummeted 17% on Wednesday, erasing all gains so far this year. In the past year the stock has lost nearly 50% of its value.
Last year, Novo’s total sales grew by 10% to 309bn Danish kroner (£36.6bn) “despite being a challenging year for the company”, according to Mike Doustdar, the chief executive. Profit before tax rose by 3% to 130.5bn kroner.
Experts Explain Important Health Issues Related to GLP-1 Medications
During February’s national Heart Health Awareness Month, it’s important to note that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are surging at historic levels. Nearly 12% of U.S. adults now report using a GLP-1 medication for weight loss and as prices for the medications continue to decrease, that percentage is expected to increase. But as millions shed pounds at record speed, physicians are sounding alarms about the lesser-reported consequences.
There are at least three important issues that GLP-1 users should be monitoring, say two physicians — rheumatologist Dr. Adam Kreitenberg and interventional cardiologist Dr. Heather Shenkman—who specialize in the use of GLP-1 medications. They both believe that this fast and never-before-seen weight-loss approach carries certain health and nutritional concerns.
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