Children who begin to identify as transgender at a young age tend to retain their identity for at least a few years, according to a study published Wednesday.
The survey involved 317 young people aged 3-12 years who were hired in the survey. Five years later, at the end of the study, 94% lived transgender and nearly two-thirds had medical transitions using either adolescent blockers or sex hormones.
Most of the children surveyed came from high-income Caucasian families who supported the transition. On average, children began to recognize themselves as transgender around the age of six.
It is unclear whether similar results will be seen among adolescents with a disadvantaged background or among adolescents who have begun to identify themselves as transgender as teenagers. This study was published online in pediatrics.
Politicians trying to outlaw or criminalize the treatment of transgender youth cite evidence that changes the minds of many children, or suggests a “re-transition.”
Some doctors say that’s the reason for transgender Dosing or surgery Affected children should not be offered until they reach adulthood, but there is a lack of rigorous research on numbers. Pediatric studies are one of the largest studies to consider this issue, but not all children started treatment and none had sex reassignment surgery.
Colleen Williams, a psychologist working at the Gender Multi-Specialty Service at Boston Children’s Hospital, a clinic that treats transgender children, said the study was “incredibly timely … and urgently needed.” It states.
“If you’re in a trench doing this job every day with Transkid and his family, this is what we’re seeing,” said Williams, who wasn’t involved in the study. “The majority of transgender youth and children making social transitions continue to live in affirmed gender.”
Families have been recruited to participate in surveys from transkids, camps, conferences, and word-of-mouth social media groups in approximately 40 states.
Christina Olson, a psychologist at Princeton University who led the study, said several children returned temporarily during the study, but eventually most returned to transgender identity.
“Our model of thinking that we are either X or Y, cisgender or transgender suggests that it is a kind of outdated way of thinking about gender,” Olson said.
She said in 2013 when the study began, “non-binary” was not a general term and the children studied used the pronouns of men or women. It may change as researchers follow them throughout their teens. At the end of the study, adolescents were on average around 12 years old.
Evidence-based gender medical associations, a non-profit organization of medical professionals concerned about the risk of medical transition for minors, have other evidence that children who exceed their transgender identity by adolescence or adulthood He said it shows a lot. Some researchers have pointed out flaws in that data.
The group’s adviser, Dr. William Malone, said the new study “early social transsexuals could consolidate the transgender identity of young people and lead minors to the ultimate medicalization. Seems to reinforce concerns. “
___
Follow AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner @LindseyTanner..
___
The Associated Press’s Department of Health Sciences is supported by the Science Education Department of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. AP is solely responsible for all content.