A new study conducted by researchers in The Netherlands has found that the majority of children who experience feelings of gender dysphoria eventually grow out of them by the time they reach adulthood.
Tracking more than 2,700 children from the age of 11 into their mid-twenties, researchers assessed subjects’ feelings about gender every three years. At the outset of the study, approximately 11 percent of the children expressed some degree of “gender non-contentedness.”
However, by the age of 25, only 4 percent reported feeling “often” or “sometimes” discontent with their gender. This significant decrease suggests a natural evolution in the understanding and acceptance of gender identity over time.
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These findings come at a time when the United States is witnessing a significant increase in transgender children receiving gender-affirming medical treatments. Critics argue that doctors and parents may not be adequately challenging young people on their alleged gender dysphoria before pursuing medical interventions.
Published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, the study also revealed that 78 percent of participants maintained consistent feelings about their gender over the 15-year period. Approximately 19 percent reported becoming more content with their gender, while only around 2 percent became less comfortable.
Patrick Brown, a fellow at the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center who was not involved in the research, told DailyMail.com:
‘This study provides even more reason to be skeptical towards aggressive steps to facilitate gender transition in childhood and adolescence.
‘The fact that rates of satisfaction are lower even just a few years later suggests that for the vast majority of people, prudence and caution, rather than a rush towards permanent surgeries or hormone therapies, will be the best approach for teenagers struggling to make sense of the world and their place in it.
‘As such, policies that prohibit gender transition for minors make a great deal of sense.’
Shane Devine is a writer covering politics and business for VT and a regular guest on The Unusual Suspects. Follow Shane’s work here.
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