Brown rebuts false claims about youth gender-affirming surgeries
Brown says opponents falsely claim surgeries are performed on youth at high rates. She cites a 2024 Harvard study finding little to no utilization of gender-affirming surgeries by trans and nonbinary youth, and says mental health risks stem from stigma and lack of support.
Opponents of gender-affirming care for transgender and non-binary youth often falsely claim that gender-affirming surgeries are being performed on transgender and non-binary youth of all ages and at high rates.
This is not true.
While there is limited data available on this specific issue, a 2024 study by researchers at the Harvard T.
Chan School of Public Health found little to no utilization of gender-affirming surgeries by transgender and non-binary youth.
Transgender and non-binary young people living with gender dysphoria have higher rates of depression, anxiety, serious psychological distress, and suicide risk compared to their cisgender peers.
These mental health risks are not driven by being transgender or non-binary, but by stigma, discrimination, rejection, and a lack of supportive services.