Over the past decade, both Europe and the United States have made significant strides in improving gender-affirming care for young people and developing new care models for intersex children and adolescents. These advances in healthcare have been matched by legal reforms: a growing number of European countries have banned medically unnecessary interventions on intersex children, while many have also removed sterilization requirements for legal gender recognition and, in some cases, introduced self-determination models.
Recent political changes in the US and UK have rolled back some of the advancements in this area. In the US, executive orders under President Trump restricted access to healthcare for transgender youth, while in the UK, healthcare professionals reviewed the evidence supporting gender-affirming care for young people. The impact of these shifts on intersex children and adolescents remains uncertain.
Against this backdrop, this presentation addresses two key, interconnected questions. First, it argues that, despite positive developments, most European legal systems still fail to prioritize adequate healthcare access for intersex and transgender individuals. Recognition of their rights often stops at protecting physical integrity—avoiding unnecessary medical interventions—rather than embracing a broader vision of justice for these communities.
Second, in light of recent US and UK policy changes targeting gender-affirming care, the presentation examines the intersection of intersex and transgender healthcare, and compares legal approaches to care for youth in the US, Germany, and Malta. This analysis reveals how the lack of strong legal frameworks for healthcare access profoundly shapes the lived experiences of intersex and transgender youth.
