Cleveland Clinic to halt youth gender-affirming care under DOJ agreement

• The hospital system will also commit $2 million toward care for people seeking to "detransition," or reverse gender-transition treatments.

What they're saying: Clinic spokeswoman Angie Kiska downplayed the agreement, characterizing the dispute in a statement to Axios as an "unintentional coding issue involving a small number of patients."

• The DOJ touted the settlement in the context of the Trump administration's broader effort to "protect America's children" and investigate providers of what it calls "sex-rejecting procedures."

The big picture: In a similar agreement last month, Texas Children's Hospital — the nation's largest pediatric hospital — agreed to pay a $10 million penalty and create a "detransition clinic."

• Twenty-six states, including Ohio, have enacted bans on youth transgender care.

Reality check: Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, oppose blanket bans, citing evidence that treatment can reduce depression, anxiety and suicide risk among transgender youth.

• Surgeries for transgender children are rare. Transgender teens who get gender-affirming care report high levels of satisfaction.

What's next: The Ohio Supreme Court is still considering the constitutionality of Ohio's ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

• Its ruling could reshape the legal landscape, but Cleveland Clinic would be bound by its DOJ agreement regardless.