JAMA Pediatrics Study: Less Than 0.1% of U.S. Adolescents Received Gender-Affirming Medications Over Five Years

Jan 6, 2025, 08:00 PM

A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics by Landon Hughes, a Harvard University public health researcher, has found that fewer than 1 in 1,000 U.S. adolescents with private insurance received gender-affirming medications, such as puberty blockers or hormones, over a five-year period from 2018 to 2022. The research, analyzing insurance claims data of over 5 million patients aged 8 to 17, indicates that less than 0.1% of these youth received such treatments. Specifically, 926 adolescents received puberty blockers, and 1,927 received hormones. The study highlights that no patients under the age of 12 were prescribed hormones, suggesting a cautious approach by healthcare providers. This data comes amid ongoing debates and legal challenges in the U.S. regarding healthcare for transgender youth, with at least 26 states having enacted laws restricting or banning these treatments for minors.