HHS Guidance Limits Recognition to Male and Female

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued new guidance affirming that there are only two sexes, male and female, based on immutable biological characteristics, following President Donald Trump's executive order to eliminate gender ideology from federal policy. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated that this action restores 'biological truth' and common sense to the government. The guidance defines sex as determined by reproductive functions – males produce sperm and females produce eggs – and dismisses the idea of a third sex. Additionally, the HHS plans to implement policies to protect women's sports and oppose gender-affirming care for minors. Critics, including rights activists, have condemned this move as anti-LGBTQ and dehumanizing, arguing it undermines the complexities of gender identity. This guidance has sparked discussions, considering the estimated 1.6 million transgender individuals in the U.S. and the existence of intersex conditions.