The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released updated guidance on Wednesday redefining sex in accordance with President Donald Trump’s executive order affirming that “there are only two sexes, female and male.”
The update follows Trump’s “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” executive order, which he signed on his first day in office. The order established that the federal government would recognize only two sexes based on biological reality.
HHS’s guidance stated, “There are only two sexes, female and male, because there are only two types of gametes.” It further clarified that a person’s sex is determined at conception and is “unchangeable and determined by objective biology.”
“An individual human is either female or male based on whether the person is of the sex characterized by a reproductive system with the biological function of producing eggs (ova) or sperm,” the guidance explained.
HHS also rejected the notion that medical interventions could alter a person’s sex, stating, “The use of hormones or surgical interventions does not change a person’s sex because such actions do not change the type of gamete that the person’s reproductive system has the biological function to produce.” The guidance emphasized that disorders of sexual development do not constitute a third sex, as they do not result in the production of a new type of gamete.
The department highlighted the importance of recognizing biological sex for medical research and healthcare practices, arguing that sex-based distinctions are necessary for protecting women’s health, safety, and opportunities in sports and other areas.
“Restoring biological truth to the Federal government is critical to scientific inquiry, public safety, morale, and trust in government itself,” the guidance stated.
