Original article (in Slovenian) was published on 29/08/2022
The headline of an article published on the Nova24tv.si portal on 13 August claimed that Boston Children’s Hospital was offering hysterectomies for children. The portal reported that the hospital performs surgeries on the chest with parental consent on children aged 15, whereas other types of surgery are available only to adults; vaginoplasty, meanwhile, was said to be available to children as young as 17.
The same article was published the same day on the portal Demokracija.si.
The Boston Children’s Hospital is home to the first US Centre for Gender Surgery, which is intended for youths and young adults with gender dysphoria – a condition where individuals do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth – which can lead to psychological trauma.
The Centre performs genital surgery only on individuals over 18. According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child is any person under the age of 18. This also applies in the federal state of Massachusetts, where the Boston Children’s Hospital is located.
Genital surgery includes hysterectomy, which is the removal of the uterus, and may also involve the removal of the fallopian tubes and cervix.
There are other criteria beyond the age that a patient must satisfy to qualify for such surgery. Their medical doctor or regular therapist must confirm the person has persistent and well-documented gender dysphoria and has lived in the gender they identify with for at least 12 months. Additionally, a mental health expert must confirm in writing that the patient understands the gender reassignment procedure and has provided voluntary consent.
Patients, younger than 15 only perform chest surgeries – with the consent of their parents.
The claim that Boston Children’s Hospital is offering hysterectomies for children had been spreading on social media before the Nova24tv.si article was published, including by the Twitter account Libs of Tiktok, known in US media for opposing the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
The claim has also been verified by the fact-checking organization Politifact, which designated it as false on 12 August.
The Twitter user who uses the handle Libs of Tiktok responded to that with a post saying that Boston Children’s Hospital changed the age limit on its website once the information about it performing hysterectomies on children spread online.
However, the age limits for phalloplasty, of which hysterectomy is a part, and metoidioplasty, where removal of the uterus is optional, have remained the same. The Internet Archive Wayback Machine snapshot of the hospital’s website taken on 16 August shows they did change the age limit for vaginoplasty, which does not include a hysterectomy. The old version of the website said the procedure is available from age 17; after the fake information spread, they changed the age limit to 18. Phalloplasty and metoidioplasty involve the surgical creation of a penis, vaginoplasty involves the surgical creation of a vagina.
Commenting on the change of the age limit on their website for Fox News, the hospital explained that hysterectomy had never been performed on persons under 18, whereas a consultation on vaginoplasty is possible from age 17. “We have since updated this to reflect the protocols for the practice, which we have always adhered to,” the hospital said, adding that it follows the World Professional Association for Transgender Health guidelines.
Later, the hospital also responded to the spread of fake news, having received multiple telephones and email threats. They reiterated that they do not perform hysterectomies on persons under 18 and that they would remain supporters of the transgender community.
The claim that Boston Children’s Hospital is offering hysterectomies for children is false.