Crime

Dr. Drew: Gender Treatments for Kids Are Harming, Not Helping

Published

August 29, 2025

Dr. Drew Pinsky, physician and media host, warned that America’s medical establishment is mishandling the treatment of transgender-identifying minors. In an appearance on The Ingraham Angle on Fox News, Dr. Drew argued that doctors and policymakers have adopted a one-size-fits-all approach that ignores the deeper issues many young patients face.

His comments came after revelations that the Minneapolis shooter, Robert Westman, identified as transgender in his teenage years and later expressed regret. Dr. Drew said the tragedy underscores how focusing narrowly on gender treatments can lead to disastrous outcomes when underlying mental health problems are left unaddressed.

Treating Symptoms, Ignoring Causes

Dr. Drew compared the medical profession’s approach to “treating a fever when somebody has pneumonia.” He said the system prioritizes political messaging and bureaucratic policies over careful, individualized care.

“This kid had a context that was much more serious problem than was his gender feelings,” Dr. Drew explained. “We spend no energy figuring out who those patients are, so we’re giving one-size-fits-all, which only ends up in what looks to all of us like harm.”

He acknowledged that some patients may benefit when care is properly selected and timed. However, he criticized the lack of rigorous screening that could determine who should receive treatment.

Puberty Blockers and Hormone Therapies

When pressed on puberty blockers and surgeries for minors, Dr. Drew cautioned against rushing into irreversible steps. He described cases in which patients were evaluated carefully for months or even years before being placed on lifelong hormone therapies.

“These are dangerous medicines, and it’s not to be willy-nilly applied to anybody who might have a funny feeling about who they are,” he said. He emphasized the need for caution, pointing out that children must understand the lifelong risks of the treatments.

Rising Transgender Rates Among Youth

Host Laura Ingraham cited data showing that transgender identification among minors is rising sharply. In Minnesota, where the shooting took place, young adults report transgender identification at the highest rate in the nation.

Dr. Drew compared the trend to unexplained increases in autism diagnoses, saying medical professionals have avoided asking hard questions about what drives the surge. “There’s a reason here,” he said. “Contagion has been suspected. There’s all sorts of concerns about medications, of course, but there’s something going on and we need to understand what that is.”

He stressed that human psychology is too complex for simplistic solutions. “Humans are complicated, our brains are complicated. Just giving some paste on the outside is not going to solve what’s going on necessarily on the inside.”

Missed Red Flags

Dr. Drew also said it was inconceivable that Westman’s issues went unnoticed. With disciplinary problems, instability, and visible warning signs, the medical system should have recognized the danger.

“This doesn’t happen overnight,” Ingraham noted. Dr. Drew agreed, calling the failure of oversight “disgusting” and “shameful” for his profession.

“Is this kid better because of the care he got from the medical system? Or any of these kids that have shot places up and had transgender treatments better because they got transgender treatment?” he asked. “Something is very wrong with how we’re approaching this treatment and we need to solve that problem.”

A Growing International Divide

Ingraham pointed out that European countries are already pulling back on youth transgender treatments. The United Kingdom, Sweden, and Finland have restricted the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapies for minors.

Dr. Drew agreed that the United States must have the same debate. He urged policymakers to take a serious, evidence-based look at the long-term impact of medicalizing children’s gender distress.

Call for Reform

Dr. Drew’s appearance highlighted a growing divide between U.S. states expanding transgender medical policies and countries abroad that are retreating. He argued that ideology and bureaucracy are driving decisions instead of science and patient well-being.

“The reality is that focusing on this one issue while ignoring the larger context is harming kids, not helping them,” he said.

As more tragedies unfold and more young people express regret after transitioning, Dr. Drew urged a fundamental change in how the medical system approaches the issue. “Something is very wrong,” he concluded, “and we need to fix it.”