Obstetrician Claims ACOG Forced Her to Choose Between Chair Role and Criticizing Transgender Care Guidelines

A board-certified obstetrician and former chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Iowa section reports being pressured to abandon her leadership role after voicing opposition to the college’s backing of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s treatment guidelines. She describes herself as a lesbian, mother, and lifelong Democrat who previously worked to improve access to women’s health care in rural Iowa.

According to her account, an ACOG vice president met with her in March and issued a binary choice: step down as chair or stop publicly challenging the endorsement of transgender medical protocols. She contends that the guidelines promote medicalization and surgery without robust evidence of lasting health benefits. Opting to resign, she says the episode reflects broader disputes within obstetrics and gynecology over the appropriate approach to transgender patient care.