Chloe Cole, a detransitioner who underwent gender transition treatment as a teenager, conducted undercover calls to Planned Parenthood locations in Idaho, Alaska, New York and Washington D.C. as part of an investigation organized by the pro-life advocacy group Live Action, according to recordings reviewed by Fox News Digital.

In the calls made between May and June 2026, Cole posed as a patient seeking information about reversing a gender transition after previously undergoing treatment including cross-sex hormones and surgery. The investigation focused on what resources Planned Parenthood offers individuals who wish to discontinue or reverse transition-related medical care.

Across multiple conversations reviewed by Fox News Digital, Planned Parenthood employees described services available for patients seeking gender-affirming care but could not identify detransition-specific programs, treatment pathways or clinical resources when asked about options for individuals seeking to reverse course after transition-related medical treatment.

In one call, Cole asked whether Planned Parenthood offered services for patients attempting to stop or reverse a transition. "We only have gender-affirming care services, like for hormones, but not to detransition," an employee responded.

When Cole asked whether the organization offered help addressing fertility concerns or other effects associated with prior transition-related treatment, another employee said: "As in right now, it's a no, I don't think we do that type of healthcare."

What the Left Is Saying

LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations and medical groups have long argued for expanded access to gender-affirming care and caution against using undercover investigations as evidence of systemic failures. They note that detransition is relatively uncommon and often occurs due to external social pressures rather than regret about the medical process itself.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has maintained that gender-affirming care, when provided according to established clinical guidelines, represents a standard of care supported by major medical organizations. These groups argue that restricting access to such care can cause significant harm to transgender individuals experiencing dysphoria.

Transgender healthcare advocates note that Planned Parenthood serves millions of patients annually and provides a wide range of reproductive health services. They argue the organization's gender-affirming hormone services are provided through informed-consent protocols designed to ensure patient safety and autonomy, consistent with WPATH Standards of Care.

Medical professionals in the field have noted that while detransition support is an emerging area of care, it remains a specialty service that may not fall within the scope of primary care providers like Planned Parenthood. They argue this represents a gap in the healthcare system rather than a failure by any single provider to offer comprehensive services.

What the Right Is Saying

Live Action founder Lila Rose said the investigation reveals what she described as a one-sided approach to gender medicine at Planned Parenthood facilities. "Live Action's undercover investigation with detransitioner Chloe Cole exposed Planned Parenthood's one-way body altering system," Rose said in a statement.

Cole, who began identifying as male at age 12 and underwent chest surgery at age 15 before beginning to detransition at 16, said she conducted the investigation after experiencing difficulty finding medical support when she sought to reverse her transition. "I know firsthand the pain of being pushed down the path of transition," Cole told Fox News Digital.

The investigation is being used by Live Action to campaign for continued restrictions on federal funding for Planned Parenthood under the Hyde Amendment and related provisions, which prohibit the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortion services but have been a point of contention regarding broader reproductive healthcare funding.

Conservative lawmakers have pointed to this and previous investigations as evidence that gender-affirming care protocols may be insufficiently rigorous. Representative Mike Kelly and other Republican legislators have cited similar undercover recordings in support of legislation aimed at restricting minors' access to transition-related medical interventions.

What the Numbers Show

The detransition rate among individuals who pursue gender-affirming medical care remains a subject of ongoing research with varying estimates. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that approximately 4% of patients who underwent gender-affirming surgical procedures later sought reversal or revision surgeries, though researchers noted limitations in tracking long-term outcomes.

Planned Parenthood serves approximately 2 million patients annually across its network of more than 600 health centers nationwide. The organization has expanded its gender-affirming hormone services in recent years to include services in multiple states where such care was previously limited.

Federal funding restrictions through the Hyde Amendment, which has been enacted as a budget rider annually since 1976, prohibit the use of Medicaid funds for abortion services but do not restrict federal funding for other Planned Parenthood services. The organization estimates this restriction alone costs it approximately $60 million annually in reimbursements it cannot receive.

The Bottom Line

The investigation adds to ongoing debates about medical protocols for gender-affirming care and the responsibilities of healthcare providers offering such services. While both sides agree that patients experiencing regret deserve compassionate, comprehensive care, they diverge sharply on whether the issue reflects a systemic problem requiring policy intervention or an emerging specialty area where the healthcare system as a whole has room to develop better resources.

Live Action plans to use the findings in its advocacy for maintaining and potentially expanding restrictions on federal funding for Planned Parenthood. The organization argues that investigations like this one demonstrate the need for greater oversight of gender-affirming care protocols, particularly for minors.

Planned Parenthood has not issued a formal response to the investigation as of publication time. The organization has previously maintained that its gender-affirming care services are provided in accordance with established medical standards and informed consent requirements.

What to watch: Whether congressional scrutiny of Planned Parenthood's gender-affirming care services intensifies following this investigation, and whether any states move to place additional restrictions on such services based on similar undercover probes.