In the largest study of its kind in the US, researchers found that gender-affirming hormones have a positive effect on transgender teens’ mental health: The more trans teens’ appearance aligned with their gender identity, the more satisfied they were in life and the less depressed and anxious they felt.
The study, published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, should be seen as an important scientific counterpoint to the relentless political attacks on the rights of trans youth.
A recent analysis by NPR found that 86% of the more than 300 bills targeting trans people were squarely focused on trans youth. Those laws typically aim to restrict trans teens’ access to sports, prevent them from using the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity, or deny access to gender-affirming health care. Although the courts have generally — but not always — struck down these bills, new ones keep popping up.
