Gender confusion

[RZehr]

Putting numbers on the rise in children seeking gender care

In 2021, about 42,000 children and teens across the United States received a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, nearly triple the number in 2017, according to data Komodo compiled for Reuters. Gender dysphoria is defined as the distress caused by a discrepancy between a person’s gender identity and the one assigned to them at birth.

Overall, the analysis found that at least 121,882 children ages 6 to 17 were diagnosed with gender dysphoria from 2017 through 2021. Reuters found similar trends when it requested state-level data on diagnoses among children covered by Medicaid, the public insurance program for lower-income families.

At least 14,726 minors started hormone treatment with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis from 2017 through 2021, according to the Komodo analysis.

The Komodo analysis of insurance claims found 56 genital surgeries among patients ages 13 to 17 with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis from 2019 to 2021. Among teens, “top surgery” to remove breasts is more common. In the three years ending in 2021, at least 776 mastectomies were performed in the United States on patients ages 13 to 17 with a gender dysphoria diagnosis, according to Komodo’s data analysis of insurance claims. This tally does not include procedures that were paid for out of pocket.

For the analysis of pediatric patients initiating puberty blockers or hormones, Komodo searched for patients with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis. Patients with a diagnosis of central precocious puberty were removed. A total of 17,683 patients, ages 6 through 17, with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis initiated either puberty blockers or hormones or both during the five-year period. Of these, 4,780 patients had initiated puberty blockers and 14,726 patients had initiated hormone treatment.
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/sp ... outh-data/

[Ken]

Putting numbers on the rise in children seeking gender care

In 2021, about 42,000 children and teens across the United States received a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, nearly triple the number in 2017, according to data Komodo compiled for Reuters. Gender dysphoria is defined as the distress caused by a discrepancy between a person’s gender identity and the one assigned to them at birth.

Overall, the analysis found that at least 121,882 children ages 6 to 17 were diagnosed with gender dysphoria from 2017 through 2021. Reuters found similar trends when it requested state-level data on diagnoses among children covered by Medicaid, the public insurance program for lower-income families.

At least 14,726 minors started hormone treatment with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis from 2017 through 2021, according to the Komodo analysis.

The Komodo analysis of insurance claims found 56 genital surgeries among patients ages 13 to 17 with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis from 2019 to 2021. Among teens, “top surgery” to remove breasts is more common. In the three years ending in 2021, at least 776 mastectomies were performed in the United States on patients ages 13 to 17 with a gender dysphoria diagnosis, according to Komodo’s data analysis of insurance claims. This tally does not include procedures that were paid for out of pocket.

For the analysis of pediatric patients initiating puberty blockers or hormones, Komodo searched for patients with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis. Patients with a diagnosis of central precocious puberty were removed. A total of 17,683 patients, ages 6 through 17, with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis initiated either puberty blockers or hormones or both during the five-year period. Of these, 4,780 patients had initiated puberty blockers and 14,726 patients had initiated hormone treatment.
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/sp ... outh-data/

So let's put those numbers into context. According to the Census Department there are 42 million adolescents in the US or 12.8% of the population. If we assume a roughly 50/50 split that would be 21 million boys and 21 million girls. Some of the above stats are per year and some are for a 4-year period so I'll use single year numbers for 2021 since those are the highest.

If there are 42,000 adolescents with a medical diagnosis of "gender dysphoria" in 2021 that represents 01.% of all adolescents or 1 in 1,000
If there are 4,231 adolescents who started hormone therapy in 2021 that represents 0.01% of all adolescents or 1 in 10,000.
If there are 1390 adolescents who started hormone blockers in 2021 that represents .003% of all adolescents or 3 in 100,000.
If there were 282 girls who received top surgery in 2021 that represents .0013% of all girls or 13 in a million.
If there are an average of 14 adolescents undergoing genital surgery per year that represents 0.00003% of all adolescents or 3 in 10 million.

If you are a teenager in the US you are literally 2.8-times more likely to be struck by lightning (1 in 1.2 million chance) than you are to get transgender genital surgery. And FAR FAR more likely to get struck by lightning than to get transgender genital surgery and regret it.

And, if you are an adolescent you are 58-times more likely to DIE of COVID than you are to get any transgender genital surgery. There were 821 COVID deaths among adolescents in the US in 2022.

[RZehr]

Putting numbers on the rise in children seeking gender care

In 2021, about 42,000 children and teens across the United States received a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, nearly triple the number in 2017, according to data Komodo compiled for Reuters. Gender dysphoria is defined as the distress caused by a discrepancy between a person’s gender identity and the one assigned to them at birth.

Overall, the analysis found that at least 121,882 children ages 6 to 17 were diagnosed with gender dysphoria from 2017 through 2021. Reuters found similar trends when it requested state-level data on diagnoses among children covered by Medicaid, the public insurance program for lower-income families.

At least 14,726 minors started hormone treatment with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis from 2017 through 2021, according to the Komodo analysis.

The Komodo analysis of insurance claims found 56 genital surgeries among patients ages 13 to 17 with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis from 2019 to 2021. Among teens, “top surgery” to remove breasts is more common. In the three years ending in 2021, at least 776 mastectomies were performed in the United States on patients ages 13 to 17 with a gender dysphoria diagnosis, according to Komodo’s data analysis of insurance claims. This tally does not include procedures that were paid for out of pocket.

For the analysis of pediatric patients initiating puberty blockers or hormones, Komodo searched for patients with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis. Patients with a diagnosis of central precocious puberty were removed. A total of 17,683 patients, ages 6 through 17, with a prior gender dysphoria diagnosis initiated either puberty blockers or hormones or both during the five-year period. Of these, 4,780 patients had initiated puberty blockers and 14,726 patients had initiated hormone treatment.
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/sp ... outh-data/

So let's put those numbers into context. According to the Census Department there are 42 million adolescents in the US or 12.8% of the population. If we assume a roughly 50/50 split that would be 21 million boys and 21 million girls. Some of the above stats are per year and some are for a 4-year period so I'll use single year numbers for 2021 since those are the highest.

If there are 42,000 adolescents with a medical diagnosis of "gender dysphoria" in 2021 that represents 01.% of all adolescents or 1 in 1,000
If there are 4,231 adolescents who started hormone therapy in 2021 that represents 0.01% of all adolescents or 1 in 10,000.
If there are 1390 adolescents who started hormone blockers in 2021 that represents .003% of all adolescents or 3 in 100,000.
If there were 282 girls who received top surgery in 2021 that represents .0013% of all girls or 13 in a million.
If there are an average of 14 adolescents undergoing genital surgery per year that represents 0.00003% of all adolescents or 3 in 10 million.

If you are a teenager in the US you are literally 2.8-times more likely to be struck by lightning (1 in 1.2 million chance) than you are to get transgender genital surgery. And FAR FAR more likely to get struck by lightning than to get transgender genital surgery and regret it.

Ah, the power of statistics. The real problem, is that this is child abuse. It isn't "fixing" anything. It is child mutilation, and we have people minimizing it, and other people promoting it. Unlike all the other things that you have mentioned in the past, such as automobile accidents, farming accidents, etc., child mutilation serves no good purpose. These other things, even though they carry a risk factor, have major benefits that mean they are a net gain for children and society. Child mutilation, not so much. In fact it indeed creates obvious and not obvious costs to the child, the families, and society. I think the phrase is false equivalence?

[ohio jones]

A very short summary of my position on this topic would be the following:

[Ken]

Ah, the power of statistics. The real problem, is that this is child abuse. It isn't "fixing" anything. It is child mutilation, and we have people minimizing it, and other people promoting it. Unlike all the other things that you have mentioned in the past, such as automobile accidents, farming accidents, etc., child mutilation serves no good purpose. These other things, even though they carry a risk factor, have major benefits that mean they are a net gain for children and society. Child mutilation, not so much. In fact it indeed creates obvious and not obvious costs to the child, the families, and society. I think the phrase is false equivalence?

It is child abuse if it is forced on the child, yes. I would agree. Parents should not be forcing their non-trans children to become trans. And I would hope the medical profession is sophisticated enough to catch those rare cases if the do happen. And such parents should be prosecuted just like they are for other types of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy which is what that would be.

But it is not child abuse if it is something that the child seeks because they are indeed transgender. Even children and especially teenagers have the autonomy to make their own life choices. This is a significant one, but no different from any other serious life choice that has consequences. Pregnancy is also a life-altering choice. This is what Mike had to say about pregnant teenagers in Philadelphia this morning: "Sure, and let them bear the consequences. I'm fine with aiding people who have made bad choices so they don't starve, die for lack of medical care, or have to live in the streets, but I don't know whether society owes them much more than that." And I promise you there are many thousand-times more pregnant teenagers in this country than transgender teens receiving surgery.

[Soloist]

I believe my leg is horrible and the doctors are refusing to remove it. I’ve threatened to commit suicide and cut it off myself if they don’t help me but they consistently tell me to talk to the psychiatrist.

How is this scenario any different with the exception of the doctors supporting it?
Up until DSM 4 it was a mental health issue and treated accordingly

[Ken]

I believe my leg is horrible and the doctors are refusing to remove it. I’ve threatened to commit suicide and cut it off myself if they don’t help me but they consistently tell me to talk to the psychiatrist.

How is this scenario any different with the exception of the doctors supporting it?
Up until DSM 4 it was a mental health issue and treated accordingly

It is different because the medical profession has established a different standard of care for such individuals compared to transgender people. As you well know.

[Soloist]

I believe my leg is horrible and the doctors are refusing to remove it. I’ve threatened to commit suicide and cut it off myself if they don’t help me but they consistently tell me to talk to the psychiatrist.

How is this scenario any different with the exception of the doctors supporting it?
Up until DSM 4 it was a mental health issue and treated accordingly

It is different because the medical profession has established a different standard of care for such individuals compared to transgender people. As you well know.

And now the primary point, what was the driver of this change? Research? What research? The nation changed standards of practice without any decent studies on clinical outcomes.

[Ken]

And now the primary point, what was the driver of this change? Research? What research? The nation changed standards of practice without any decent studies on clinical outcomes.

I very much doubt that is the case. A quick search of medical journals on PubMed reveals 12,219 results. Now I am not going to read 12,219 journal entries to try to judge whether there "aren't any decent studies on clinical outcomes" But this is a subject that has received a great deal of clinical attention from the medical community.

[Soloist]

And now the primary point, what was the driver of this change? Research? What research? The nation changed standards of practice without any decent studies on clinical outcomes.

I very much doubt that is the case. A quick search of medical journals on PubMed reveals 12,219 results. Now I am not going to read 12,219 journal entries to try to judge whether there "aren't any decent studies on clinical outcomes" But this is a subject that has received a great deal of clinical attention from the medical community.

Sure it has. When did the policies start changing and when did the studies guiding that happen? You don’t need to read them, just answer when the policies started changing and based on what?
I’ll give you a hint, the research came after. The policies to provide care to children didn’t come based on research as those policies came before the research.