Trump administration restores biological accuracy: HHS updates sex and gender definitions

• The Department of Health and Human Services has issued new guidance that defines “sex” as an immutable biological classification of male or female, a move aligned with President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism.”
• The new definitions represent a stark departure from the previous administration’s policies, which allowed for a more inclusive and non-binary understanding of gender and sex, leading to a backlash from conservatives who view the change as necessary for maintaining biological accuracy.
• The guidance will have significant implications for women’s sports, emphasizing the protection of women’s and girls’ athletic opportunities. In healthcare, it calls for sex-specific practices in medicine and research to ensure optimal health outcomes.
• The new definitions and policies have sparked protests and criticism from LGBTQ+ rights advocates, who argue that the changes will harm transgender individuals and limit their rights. Supporters see the changes as necessary for protecting women’s rights and ensuring biological truth in federal policies.
• The debate over these changes is part of a larger conversation about gender identity and the role of government in shaping human identity. The coming years will reveal the implementation and broader societal impact of these changes.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has taken a significant step in restoring what many consider the fundamental truths of biology. The agency has issued new guidance on the definitions of “sex,” “female,” and “male,” a move that aligns with President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” This action, taken by the newly confirmed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., signals a robust return to a binary understanding of sex and gender, a concept that has been under intense scrutiny and redefinition in recent years.

The context: A shift from the previous administration

The new HHS guidance represents a stark contrast to the policies of the previous administration under President Joe Biden. During Biden’s tenure, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defined sex as “an individual’s biological status as male, female, or something else,” and gender as “the cultural roles, behaviors, activities and attributes expected of people based on their sex.” This definition allowed for a broader, more inclusive understanding of gender and sex, which many conservatives saw as a threat to traditional values and biological accuracy.

In response to this, President Trump signed an executive order in January 2025 that explicitly stated, “The policy of the United States is to recognize two sexes, male and female, and that they cannot be changed.” This order was a direct challenge to what conservatives perceive as the overreach of gender ideology, which they argue has been imposed on schools, workplaces and healthcare systems.

The new definitions: Clarity and biological truth

The HHS guidance, which is now official, defines “sex” as “a person’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.” It further clarifies that “female” is “a person of the sex characterized by a reproductive system with the biological function of producing eggs,” and “male” is “a person of the sex characterized by a reproductive system with the biological function of producing sperm.” A woman is defined as “an adult human female,” and a man as “an adult human male.”

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. emphasized the significance of these changes in a statement, saying, “This administration is bringing back common sense and restoring biological truth to the federal government. The prior administration’s policy of trying to engineer gender ideology into every aspect of public life is over.”

The impact on women’s rights and sports

One of the most immediate and visible impacts of this new guidance is on women’s sports. The HHS launched a dedicated website that includes resources and information aimed at “protecting women and children.” Among the content is a video featuring Riley Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer and prominent advocate for the protection of women’s sports.

Gaines, who has been a vocal critic of allowing transgender women to compete in female sports, praised the new policies. “The clarity and decisiveness of this administration sends a strong, clear message to women and girls across the country that we matter,” she said. “We are taking action to ensure that women’s sports remain fair and that women and girls can compete on a level playing field.”

The website also features a blog post by Dr. Dorothy Fink, an endocrinologist and former acting HHS secretary, who wrote about the importance of recognizing biological differences in healthcare. “In health care, sex distinctions can influence disease presentation, diagnosis and treatment differently in females and males,” Fink stated. “HHS recognizes that biological differences between females and males require sex-specific practices in medicine and research to ensure optimal health outcomes.”

A contentious political issue

The issue of gender identity and the definition of sex has become increasingly contentious in recent years. According to the Williams Institute, approximately 1.6 million people over the age of 13 in the United States identify as transgender. The new HHS guidance and the broader policy changes by the Trump administration have drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ rights advocates and their allies.

In response to the HHS announcement, protests broke out in several cities, including New York, where demonstrators gathered at the Stonewall Inn and the Stonewall National Monument. Rights activists view the term “gender ideology” as a dehumanizing and anti-LGBTQ+ trope, arguing that the new definitions and policies will harm transgender individuals and limit their rights.

Despite the backlash, supporters of the Trump administration’s policies argue that the changes are necessary to protect the integrity of women’s rights and to ensure that biological truths are respected in federal policies and practices. As the debate continues, one thing is clear: the conversation about gender and sex is far from over, and the actions of the HHS will have far-reaching implications for years to come.

This move by the Trump administration and the HHS is not just about definitions; it is about the values and principles that guide our understanding of human identity and the role of government in shaping that understanding. For many, the restoration of “biological truth” is a return to common sense and a defense of women’s rights. For others, it is a step backward in the fight for equality and inclusion. The coming months and years will reveal how these changes will be implemented and the broader societal impact they will have.

Sources include:

TheEpochNews.com

CBSNews.com

Reuters.com