Gender-Affirming Therapies Are Ineffective and Unnecessary

The transgender movement is heavily backed by politicians, the media, and an aggressive collection of activists. Promoters claim that so-called “gender-affirming therapy” saves lives and makes people happier. However, a growing body of research suggests just the opposite. While European nations are moving away from such therapies for children and youth, America pushes ahead, ignoring research that does not agree with the current political and ideological trends.

The Washington Times reported last month, “A landmark Dutch study found that most adolescents ultimately outgrow their gender confusion” (April 8, 2024). The study followed more than 2,700 adolescents for 15 years. The findings revealed that while discomfort with one’s gender is not uncommon for some teens, most grow out of this condition as they age, and it “appears to be associated with a poorer self-concept and mental health throughout development.” Researchers warn doctors to avoid being quick to treat adolescent gender dysphoria medically, and to be sure to assess the developmental issues involved. One ethicist has noted, “Indeed, we can infer from the DSM 5 [2013] and other sources that as many as 88 percent of gender-dysphoric girls and as many as 98 percent of gender-dysphoric boys in previous generations desisted if allowed to go through natural puberty” (Daily Mail, April 5, 2024). In England, another landmark report was just published by the National Health Service (NHS). The Cass Review made 32 recommendations after an in-depth review of the research. Among the review’s findings, no strong scientific rationale was found to support the use of puberty blockers, and evidence of their benefits concerning gender dysphoria, mental, or psychosocial health was weak. The team noted the utter lack of long-term follow-up data regarding the impact of gender hormones on young patients, as well as the inability of doctors to determine which youth will simply grow out of their gender dysphoria and which will not. “For most young people,” the report concludes, “a medical pathway will not be the best way to manage their gender-related distress.” UK gender clinics stopped routinely prescribing puberty blockers in March 2024 due to a lack of evidence of their effectiveness (BBC, March 12, 2024).

While evidence supporting the success of gender-affirming treatments is lacking, evidence of their danger is mounting! Yet criticism of this current medical fad is often viewed as bigoted and misinformed, especially in the U.S. We live in a time when God’s warnings are very salient: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20), and “The whole head is sick” (Isaiah 1:5). God speed the day when Jesus Christ will restore all things that are good, right, and true (Acts 3:19–21). To learn more, request our free DVD, “The Truth About the Transgender Movement.”