Gender Dysphoria Cases Rise Among Younger Population

New study shows a significant uptick in diagnoses under 22, with faster rise in young AFAB people compared to AMAB counterparts.

Pol Allingham

June 27, 2023 2 min read

Gender Dysphoria Cases Rise Among Younger Population

On average people were diagnosed at 26 years old, aged 27 for AFAB people and 30 among the AMAB population. Of those cases confirmed, 58 percent were AFAB and 55 percent AMAB.A significant uptick in diagnoses was observed under 22-year-olds.There was a “significantly” faster rise among young AFAB people compared to their AMAB counterparts.PHOTO BY MAGDA EHLERS /PEXELS

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A mismatch between biological sex and gender is increasingly affecting younger people, according to a new study.The distressing feelings are known as gender dysphoria.They discovered the estimated number of those with gender dysphoria rose significantly between 2017 and 2021.

And the symptoms are being experienced by younger and younger people – the average age of those diagnosed with it fell from 31 in 2017 to 26 in 2021.Despite the rise, out of the 42 million people included in the study 155 out of 100,000 were diagnosed with gender dysphoria – just 0.0015 percent of the population.

The prevalence of gender dysphoria shot up in the AFAB group around the age of 11, peaking between 17 and 19 years old. By the age of 22 the prevalence among the group fell below AMAB people.

Meanwhile, among the AMAB group, a surge of young people began experiencing gender dysphoria at the age of 13 – a number that peaked at 23 and then gradually decreased.Scientists suggested the timing of puberty may explain the different patterns between sexes, as girls generally experience it earlier than boys.

Social attitudes may also have a role, the team suggested: school children were more likely to accept their masculine-presenting AFAB peers than young boys, who had a higher chance of being bullied and rejected.They suggested the wider availability of specialist clinics and an improved acceptance of gender diversity may explain the overall increase in gender dysphoria diagnoses, alongside the long-standing pattern that kids tend to seek medical help for gender issues during puberty.PHOTO BY TIM MOSSHOLDER/PEXELS

It had already been documented that gender dysphoria is on the rise, but the experts warned that until now studies have often been limited by small sample sizes, short monitoring periods or outdated datasets.

As an alternative, the researchers drew on data spanning 49 healthcare organizations and around 66 million people between 30 April 2017 and 30 April 2022, with 80 percent living in the U.S

The team focussed on 42 million four to 65-year-olds, 66,078 of whom were diagnosed with gender dysphoria.

They acknowledged only 20 percent of participants came from outside the U.S., potentially limiting their findings.

Produced in association with SWNS Talker