Recent Findings on Psychosocial Outcomes of Gender-Affirming Medical Care for Transgender Youth.

Abstract

Many transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth experience gender dysphoria, which can exacerbate mental health risk. Gender-affirming medical interventions, such as pubertal suppression using gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHas) and gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT), primarily aim to alleviate gender dysphoria, with overall goals of optimizing well-being. Here we discuss prospective, longitudinal studies published in the last 5 years examining mental health outcomes of GnRHas and GAHT for TGD youth and young adults, contextualize these findings within the current sociopolitical climate, and elaborate on the need for robust and comprehensive gender-affirming care for TGD youth.