The Department of Health and Human Services (HSS), under recently confirmed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., released guidance updating gender definitions and recognizing only two genders in the United States.
In a press release on Wednesday, the HHS clarified, “there are only two sexes: male and female,” and among the definitions in the guidance from the HHS, sex was described as being “a person’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.”
The press release from the HHS comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government.” In the executive order, it states that “it is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”
“This administration is bringing back common sense and restoring biological truth to the federal government,” Kennedy said in a statement. “The prior administration’s policy of trying to engineer gender ideology into every aspect of public life is over.”
🚨 JUST IN: Trump administration and RFK Jr.'s HHS lays out new guidance for gender definitions.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 19, 2025
A woman = "adult human female"
A man = "adult human male"
Mother = "female parent" [not 'birthing person'] pic.twitter.com/hkx70bFfoF
The press release from the HHS also included definitions for explaining what a “female, male, woman, girl, man,” and boy are:
Sex: A person’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.
Female: is a person of the sex characterized by a reproductive system with the biological function of producing eggs (0va).
Male: is a person of the sex characterized by a reproductive system with the biological function of producing sperm.
Woman: an adult human female.
Girl: a minor human female.
Man: an adult human male.
Boy: a minor human male.
Mother: a female parent.
Father: a male parent.
The HHS also revealed that they are “taking steps to implement policies protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation as directed” by Trump’s executive order titled, “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation.” The HHS also revealed that it is taking steps to implement policies that protected women’s sports and keep men out of women’s sports “as specified” by an executive order signed by Trump.
Dorothy Fink, MD, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women’s Health explained that “sex distinctions can influence disease presentation, diagnosis, and treatment differently in females and males.”
Fink added that the “HHS recognizes that biological differences between females and males require sex-specific practices in medicine and research to ensure optimal health outcomes.”
In his inauguration speech, Trump stated that “the official policy” of the U.S. would be that there are “only two genders.”
“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female,” Trump said in his speech.
