North Carolina Clinic Apparently Performed Gender Surgery On 14-Year-Old Girl: Report

A cosmetic surgery clinic in Charlotte, North Carolina called The Cosmetic Concierge seems to have performed elective double mastectomies on teen patients, including at least one 14-year-old, according to a report by Reduxx. The clinic offers “top surgery” procedures and photos of before and after the surgery from minors ranging from 14 to 16 years old have been posted on Twitter, prompting criticism from social media users. Dr. Hope Sherie, a former Air Force surgeon, has been operating the clinic since 2014.

The clinic claims that it requires parental consent for underage patients and follows the recommendations of a therapist for “gender confirming” procedures. However, the clinic no longer requires a “specific time on hormones” prior to surgery. Currently, 13 states have banned gender surgery for minors and North Carolina recently introduced several bills that would ban gender-related medical intervention for minors.

While some parents and medical professionals questioned the ability of minors to consent to such life-changing medical interventions, activists insist that gender surgery will improve the lives of gender non-conforming individuals. The debate about the benefits and risks of gender surgery and treatments for minors is still ongoing.