Since 2017, hundreds of females age 12 and younger with gender dysmorphia have undergone double mastectomies, according to analysis released by the Manhattan Institute this week.

The breast removal surgery, sometimes called “top surgery,” aims to create a “more masculine-looking chest,” as stated on Cleveland Clinic’s website.

Leor Sapir, PhD, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute whose areas of research include pediatric gender medicine, shared that anywhere from 5,288 to 6,294 double mastectomies were performed on girls under age 18 between 2017 and 2023 — and that 50 to 179 of those girls were just 12 years old or younger.

‘GENDER-AFFIRMING’ TREATMENTS DON’T BENEFIT YOUTH, SAYS PEDIATRICIANS GROUP: ‘IRREVERSIBLE CONSEQUENCES’

This was based on analysis of an “all-payer national insurance database,” including patients who were previously diagnosed with gender dysphoria and had the treatment covered by insurance, Sapir wrote in an article revealing the findings.

The actual numbers could be higher, the Manhattan Institute claims, because researchers did not include patients who paid for the procedure themselves without submitting an insurance claim.

“The out-of-pocket costs of ‘top surgery’ can be as low as $3,000, a sum many middle-class families can afford,” Sapir wrote. 

If any procedures were entered under different codes for billing, those would also not show up.

TRANS CHILDREN WHO TOOK PUBERTY-BLOCKING DRUGS HAD MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, UK STUDY FOUND

Prior research has suggested different numbers.

An October 2022 study led by Vanderbilt University School of Medicine — published in JAMA Network — found that there were only 489 top surgeries performed on adolescents in 2019. 

In August 2023, however, researchers from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Southern California found that 3,678 minors received “gender-affirming surgery.”

That study was also published in JAMA.

Those studies both used different and more limited data sources than Manhattan Institute’s study, the company told Fox News Digital.

PUBERTY BLOCKERS COULD CAUSE LONG-TERM FERTILITY AND HEALTH ISSUES FOR BOYS, STUDY FINDS: ‘MAY BE PERMANENT’

In June, the Biden administration spoke out against gender-affirming surgery for transgender minors for the first time, as reported by The 19th.

“These are deeply personal decisions and we believe these surgeries should be limited to adults,” a White House spokesperson said in an email, according to the outlet. 

“We continue to support gender-affirming care for minors, which represents a continuum of care, and respect the role of parents, families and doctors in these decisions.” 

‘Of deep concern’

Psychologists have spoken out about the mental health consequences of these types of procedures — including Dr. Jonathan Alpert, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist and author.

“Taking a scalpel to a psychological disorder is of deep concern to me, especially when it comes to minors,” he told Fox News Digital. 

Psychologists have spoken out about the mental health consequences of certain types of surgeries. (iStock)

Alpert said he takes issue with the phrase “affirming care and treatment.”

“What does it really mean to affirm?” he asked. “In many cases, I have seen people suffer significantly because they have sought treatment from therapists who do just that — affirm.”

“Taking a scalpel to a psychological disorder is of deep concern to me, especially when it comes to minors.”

“They nod their heads, agree with everything their patient says, and validate all their thoughts, feelings and behaviors — even if it’s clearly unhealthy.”

While it’s normal for kids and teens to question their evolving feelings about gender identity, Alpert said, “they are being rushed into gender-affirming treatment and surgeries, rather than having their thoughts explored and challenged.”

While it’s normal for kids and teens to question their evolving feelings about gender identity, “they are being rushed into gender-affirming treatment and surgeries, rather than having their thoughts explored and challenged,” a psychotherapist said. (iStock)

“This unhealthy trend can unwittingly trap therapy patients in a cycle where the patient relies heavily on the therapist to feel good and continue to get validation, and the therapist relies on the patient to maintain their business.”

Developmental concerns must be considered, the doctor emphasized, as minors are still undergoing physical and emotional changes.

GENDER DYSPHORIA AND EATING DISORDERS HAVE SKYROCKETED SINCE PANDEMIC, REPORT REVEALS: ‘RIPPLE EFFECTS’

“Surgery is not appropriate for a child’s ever-changing sense of identity,” Alpert said, warning of long-term psychological consequences.

“Depression, anxiety and substance abuse are chief among these concerns,” he added.

“‘Wait and see’ might be preferred over taking action, as regret could very well be a consequence of surgical intervention, especially if gender identity evolves,” a doctor said.  (iStock)

It’s also important to ensure that the minors and their parents fully understand the implications of such a “drastic intervention,” according to Alpert.  

“‘Wait and see’ might be preferred over taking action, as regret could very well be a consequence of surgical intervention, especially if gender identity evolves,” he warned.

Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, said his view is the same as the current policy in the U.K. — “which is that gender-affirming surgery, including mastectomies, should not be performed on minors.”

“There is too great a risk of [the patients] changing their minds later on,” he told Fox News Digital.

The doctor also warned of the potential long-term risk of puberty-blocking drugs on bones, fertility and mental health.

“‘Wait and see’ might be preferred over taking action, as regret could very well be a consequence of surgical intervention.”

“I think younger patients with gender dysphoria should be treated initially with psychotherapy and years spent exploring how they really feel — without the superimposition of politics or ideology,” Siegel added.

“I think way too many of these [procedures] are done in the U.S., as the data shows.”

Medical groups’ stances

Earlier this month, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reaffirmed its policy on supporting gender-affirming care for transgender youth, with plans to review new data and research that has been conducted since the original policy was released in 2018.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

The American College of Pediatricians (ACP) and allied groups styling themselves as “Doctors Protecting Children” have published a declaration urging mainstream American medical associations like the AAP to abandon support for gender-affirming care.

Hundreds of people attend the “1 Million March for Children” rally organized by the parents’ group “Hands off Our Kids” at Queens Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Sept. 20, 2023. (Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

“As physicians, together with nurses, psychotherapists and behavioral health clinicians, other health professionals, scientists, researchers, and public health and policy professionals, we have serious concerns about the physical and mental health effects of the current protocols promoted for the care of children and adolescents in the United States who express discomfort with their biological sex,” the declaration states.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), for its part, provided the below statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday.

“ASPS does not issue policies favoring or opposing any surgical procedure. The Society does issue Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines, which provide recommendations for patient care based on the best available evidence in the scientific literature. To date, ASPS has not issued a clinical practice guideline on gender surgery for adolescents or adults. We are currently in the stage of assessing the available evidence regarding gender surgery in minors, which, as we stated, is generally viewed as low quality/low certainty.”

Fox News Digital also reached out to the AAP and the American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society (AGOS) for comment.

Chris Pandolfo of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

Mpox (formerly monkeypox) has officially been declared a public health emergency by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The African agency reported an increase in the disease throughout the continent and warned that the virus could spread across international borders, The Associated Press reported. 

More than 96% of all mpox cases and deaths have taken place in Congo, even though mpox has been detected in 13 African countries.

MPOX DECLARED PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY IN AFRICA AS AUTHORITIES BATTLE MULTIPLE VARIANTS

The Africa CDC confirmed that overall cases are up 160%, and deaths increased by 19% compared to last year, according to AP.

Additionally, Swedish health authorities just announced the first case of the highly infectious mpox as well. “In this case, a person was infected during a stay in the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of [the more infectious mpox formerly known as monkeypox],” the Public Health Agency of Sweden said on Thursday.

Unlike in the 2022 epidemic, when mpox was typically spread through close contact (including sex) between gay and bisexual men, patterns in Africa show that children under 15 years old are making up more than 70% of cases and 85% of deaths in Congo.

Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an infectious diseases expert at Emory University, told AP that it is “unclear” why children are “disproportionately hit” in Congo right now.

She hypothesized that it could be due to children being more susceptible to the virus, overcrowding in social situations or exposure to parents who have mpox.

A new strain

A new form of mpox that can kill up to 10% of people and may spread more easily has also been detected in Congo, AP reported, which has scientists concerned about transmission.

MPOX OUTBREAK THAT IS RAPIDLY SPREADING THROUGH CONGO MAY BE A NEW FORM OF THE DISEASE

This is because, unlike traditional mpox, which causes lesions on the chest, hands and feet, the new strain causes milder symptoms with lesions on genitalia, according to AP, making it harder to spot.

Earlier this month, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus considered declaring mpox a global emergency given the increasing numbers in Africa.

A child affected by mpox sits on his father’s legs while receiving treatment at the center of the International medical NGO Doctors Without Borders in Zomea Kaka, in the Lobaya region in the Central African Republic, on Oct. 18, 2018. (CHARLES BOUESSEL/AFP via Getty Images)

The WHO head decided to convene with independent experts to come to a pending decision.

Meantime, the WHO reported the release of $1.45 million from its emergency fund to support mpox response in Africa.

Congo is reportedly in communication with donors about vaccine donations and has received financial aid from Britain and the U.S., AP reported. 

MONKEYPOX: WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS – AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

The U.N. health agency said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in 2024 – already blowing past last year’s numbers.

Kyle Planck, 26, who has recovered from mpox, shows scars from rashes on his skin during an interview in New York on July 19, 2022. (YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)

In May 2023, the WHO declared that mpox was no longer an international emergency following the 2022 outbreak, as cases declined by 90% for three consecutive months.

Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and Fox News senior medical analyst, said he credited the vaccine for helping to end that outbreak.

WHO ASKS EXPERTS TO HELP DECIDE IF MPOX OUTBREAK IN AFRICA IS GLOBAL EMERGENCY

“The use of ring vaccination, where those who were close to monkeypox cases are vaccinated, played a role,” he told Fox News Digital last year.

Public education and awareness of risk factors have also been critical, he said.

What is mpox?

Those who contracted the disease two years ago were hit with jarring symptoms.

Siegel told Fox News Digital during the first outbreak that the disease causes a “painful” rash that can lead to scarring.

MONKEYPOX: WHO SAYS NO LONGER GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY

The virus is part of the same family that causes smallpox – but is not related to chickenpox, said the CDC.

Blood samples are drawn from a boy who did not display any sign of mpox, even as his family was contaminated, at a quarantine area of the center of the International medical NGO Doctors Without Borders in Zomea Kaka, in the Lobaya region in the Central African Republic, on Oct. 18, 2018. (CHARLES BOUESSEL/AFP via Getty Images)

Mpox patients often develop a rash that moves through several stages and can develop within one to three days, the agency said.

Symptoms can also include headache, muscle aches, exhaustion, fever, backache, swollen lymph nodes and chills.

Mpox is classified as a “zoonotic disease,” meaning it can be spread between animals and people and can be found in small rodents, monkeys and other mammals living in locations where the virus is endemic.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

To prevent mpox spread, the CDC recommends avoiding close, skin-to-skin contact with people who appear to have a mpox rash or animals that may carry it.

The public should also be aware of preventative measures to avoid contracting the virus through sex, social gatherings or contaminated materials.

A doctor shows a vial of the Jynneos mpox vaccine by Danish vaccine developer Bavarian Nordic in Montpellier, southern France on Aug. 23, 2022. (PASCAL GUYOT/AFP via Getty Images)

People with severely weakened immune systems, children under 1-year-old, people with a history of eczema and people who are pregnant have the highest risk of severe disease, the CDC notes. 

A two-dose vaccine, called JYNNEOS, is available for protection against mpox and smallpox.

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health

The CDC recommends vaccinations against mpox if patients have known or suspected exposure to someone with mpox, had a sexual partner who was diagnosed with mpox in the last two weeks, are men having sex with other men or are individuals in other related, high-risk scenarios.

Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy and Sarah Rumph-Whitten, as well as Deirdre Reilly and The Associated Press, contributed to this report.

The cure for male pattern baldness could already be in the human body.

The condition, which causes gradual hair loss, affects up to 50% of men worldwide.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield in the U.K. claim the fix might be found in a sugar that’s naturally present in the human body.

HAIR LOSS AND PROSTATE MEDICATION COULD ALSO REDUCE HEART DISEASE RISK, STUDY FINDS

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, revealed that this sugar, known as 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), is involved in various biological processes in animals and humans and can stimulate hair regrowth in mice.

Scientists from U.K.’s Sheffield and COMSATS University Pakistan have studied the sugar for the past eight years, focusing on its ability to help heal wounds by forming new blood vessels.

The researchers noticed that hair around the wounds also appeared to grow more quickly compared to untreated wounds.

The scientists then tested this on testosterone-driven hair loss in mice, which is similar to the cause of male pattern baldness, according to a university press release.

NEW HAIR LOSS TREATMENTS MAY BE ON THE WAY AFTER MAJOR DISCOVERY, RESEARCHERS SAY

When they applied just a small dose of the sugar, new blood vessels were formed, leading to hair regrowth.

The findings suggest that the deoxy ribose sugar could be as effective as hair regrowth drugs, according to the university.

Researchers reported that a small dose of deoxy ribose sugar led to hair regrowth in mice. (iStock)

Sheila MacNeil, PhD, emeritus professor of tissue engineering at the University of Sheffield, noted that male pattern baldness could benefit from more research.

“There are only two FDA-approved drugs for this condition at present,” she wrote in a statement sent to Fox News Digital. 

CHOOSE THE BEST HAIRBRUSH FOR YOUR HAIR TYPE

“Our U.K./Pakistan collaboration unexpectedly turned up a small, naturally occurring sugar that stimulates new blood vessel formation, and we were delighted to discover that it not only stimulates wound healing, but [also] stimulates hair growth in an animal model.”

The sugar is “natural, inexpensive and stable,” MacNeill noted, and can be delivered in an “easy to apply gel,” which the researchers plan to explore in further research.

The sugar could be produced as a hair gel, the study researcher (not pictured) suggested.  (iStock)

Dr. John Whyte, WebMD’s chief medical officer in Washington, D.C., called the study findings “intriguing” in a conversation with Fox News Digital.

“This naturally occurring sugar’s effectiveness indicates significant potential in developing new hair loss treatments,” said Whyte, who was not involved in the research.

BAD HAIR DAY? STUDIES SHOW YOU MIGHT WANT TO BLAME YOUR RELATIVES, FAMILY

Current therapies “have been around for a while, have limited effectiveness and can have side effects,” the doctor noted.

Given that this research is still in the early stages, further investigation and clinical trials will be necessary to determine whether the sugar can be “safely and effectively developed into a viable cure for male pattern baldness,” Whyte added.

“More research is required before it can be considered a cure,” one doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

“The public should view these results with cautious optimism,” he went on. 

“The study provides hope for new natural treatments for hair loss, but more research is required before it can be considered a cure.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Dermatologist Brendan Camp, M.D., in New York, also reacted to the findings, reiterating to Fox News Digital that there are limited treatments available for hair loss.

“The study provides hope for new natural treatments for hair loss, but more research is required before it can be considered a cure.”

Advertisement

“A number of potential treatments have been studied, but none have been found to be curative,” said Camp, who was not involved in the research. 

“The current goal of treatment of alopecia is to help patients retain the hair they have.”

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health

This study could ultimately lead to a new, effective therapy if future research is successful, he said.

“The treatment in question, 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR), is thought to improve hair growth by causing an increase in the number of blood vessels,” he said. 

There is currently no cure for alopecia, a dermatologist noted. (iStock)

“While potentially effective at encouraging existing hair follicles to grow, it seems unlikely that it will make follicles that have already disappeared grow back.”

He added, “While promising, this treatment requires additional studies to confirm the reproducibility, efficacy and real-world application of 2-deoxy-D-ribose (2dDR) as a treatment for alopecia.”