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Does gender-affirming health care have positive outcomes for transgender youths?

Wednesday, April 13, 2022
By Austin Tannenbaum
YES

Numerous studies have found that gender-affirming health care improves the mental health of youths identifying as transgender.

A JAMA study published in February 2022 monitored the mental health of 104 transgender and non-binary youths (aged 13-20) receiving gender-affirming health care. The group had 60% lower odds of depression and 73% lower odds of suicidality compared with transgender youths who had not yet initiated hormone therapy or puberty blockers.

A similar study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health in December 2021 assessed the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth, including 9,019 transgender and non-binary youths (aged 13-24) who responded to a question about hormone therapy. Those who received the therapy had lower rates of depression and suicidality than those who desired the therapy but had not yet received it.

The American Medical Association regards gender-affirming health care as "medically necessary" and opposes state laws attempting to restrict it. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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