Connect with us

Health

Gender dysphoria growing among younger adults amid ‘increasing acceptance,’ study finds

Published

on

Gender dysphoria growing among younger adults amid ‘increasing acceptance,’ study finds

Individuals are receiving diagnoses of gender dysphoria (GD) — also known as gender identity disorder — at younger ages, according to a new study published in General Psychiatry, an open access journal that covers mental health issues and more. 

“Gender dysphoria” is defined as “psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity,” per the American Psychiatric Association.

It’s marked by a “desire and conviction to be the other gender,” said Dr. Ryan Sultan, director of integrative psych and a psychiatry professor at Columbia University in New York, in a statement to Fox News Digital.

INCREASING MAJORITY OF AMERICANS VIEW SEX AS BIOLOGICAL REALITY, NEW POLL REVEALS

The average age of those diagnosed was 26 years old in 2021, down from age 31 in 2017, a group of researchers led by the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, Virginia, determined.

Advertisement

“​​Most of this change occurred because rates of GD increased among those between the ages of 15 and 30,” said Sultan.

People are getting diagnosed with gender dysphoria (GD) — also known as gender identity disorder — at younger ages, a new study published in General Psychiatry has found. (iStock)

The study focused on 42 million patients — 66,078 of whom were identified to have gender dysphoria. 

Researchers reviewed data between 2017 and 2021 from the TriNetX database, which compiles medical records from multiple health care organizations.

Those who were born female were more likely to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria (58% versus 55% for males).

Advertisement

Females also reported experiencing the disorder at earlier ages than males. 

NEW YORK SCHOOLS TOLD TO KEEP CHILDREN’S GENDER IDENTITIES SECRET FROM FAMILIES IN SOME CASES

Among those born female, gender dysmorphia began to rise at an average age of 11, peaking between ages 17 and 19, the study found. 

Among those born male, diagnoses began to rise at age 13, peaking at the age of 23.

Boys generally enter puberty between 9 and 14 years of age; for girls, it usually begins between 8 and 13, per Cleveland Clinic.

Advertisement

That discrepancy could be part of the reason for girls’ gender dysphoria starting sooner, researchers said.

Men's and women's bathrooms

Those who were born female were more likely to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria (58% versus 55% for males), a new study determined, (iStock)

In terms of why diagnoses are occurring at younger ages for both males and females, researchers said it could be due to “increasing acceptance” and a wider availability of “specialty gender clinics.”

In a discussion of the study’s findings, the researchers wrote, “Gender identity development heavily leans on social processes, including exploration and experimentation with external feedback.”

They added, “There is now increasing acceptance of gender-neutral pronouns and gender-non-congruent chosen names.”

SPIKE IN TEEN DEPRESSION ALIGNS WITH RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, NEW POLL SUGGESTS: ‘IT’S NOT GOING ANYWHERE’

Advertisement

“The decreased mean age of GD suggests less oppression of gender minority youth and increased awareness of gender diversity,” they also wrote. 

‘Not a permanent diagnosis’

Gender dysphoria is “not a permanent diagnosis,” the researchers wrote in the journal article.

“It can be expected that gender identity will be fluid for some populations across the lifespan,” said Dr. Zachary Ginder, a psychological consultant and doctor of clinical psychology at Pine Siskin Consulting, LLC in Riverside, California, in a statement to Fox News Digital.

Teen boy and girl

“Gender dysphoria” is defined as “psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity,” per the American Psychiatric Association. (iStock)

“Gender-atypical behavior is common among young children and is considered part of normal development — thus it is hard to determine exactly how common gender dysphoria is,” Sultan told Fox News Digital. 

Other studies have shown that gender dysphoria has been increasing since at least 2011 in Europe and the U.S., Sultan noted.

Advertisement

Study had limitations

The study did have limitations, the researchers wrote.

The records from the large research database did not include precise location data, race or ethnicity. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

“Most of the data stemmed from the United States, and it is not necessarily generalizable to populations outside the country,” said Ginder. “Within the U.S., it can be inferred that state-to-state prevalence data may vary.”

Additionally, the researchers were unable to confirm whether the genders listed in the records correlated to the sex assigned at birth or the “identified gender.”

Advertisement

“Although this research identifies a potential trend within this specific data set, findings like this require further study across populations, and necessitate the utilization of other sources of data before anything can be considered set in stone,” Ginder said.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Health

Carnie Wilson’s Gluten-Free Diet Helped Her Lose 40 Lbs & Ease Pain

Published

on

Carnie Wilson’s Gluten-Free Diet Helped Her Lose 40 Lbs & Ease Pain


Advertisement


Carnie Wilson’s Gluten-Free Diet for Weight Loss Success | Woman’s World




















Advertisement











Advertisement




Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.


Use escape to exit the menu.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Health

Doctors warn of 'trifecta' of chronic illnesses plaguing Americans after MAHA report

Published

on

Doctors warn of 'trifecta' of chronic illnesses plaguing Americans after MAHA report

Chronic diseases have long been plaguing Americans, which HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called an “epidemic.”

The MAHA Commission, which Kennedy chairs, released a report on Thursday assessing chronic diseases, particularly pertaining to children.

An estimated 133 million Americans suffer from at least one chronic illness, according to the American Hospital Association.

EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT MAHA

“The report shines a necessary spotlight on a crisis that has long been ignored: skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disease, developmental issues and mental health challenges,” Kelly McKenna, CEO of the coalition End Chronic Disease, who was at the White House for the release, told Fox News Digital.

Advertisement

“Americans are living shorter, sicker lives despite record healthcare spending that exceeds that of other developed nations by orders of magnitude,” she said. “The MAHA agenda confronts that disconnect head-on.”

The MAHA Commission released a report on Thursday assessing chronic diseases among children. (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

McKenna added, “With Americans increasingly aware of the role that factors such as ultraprocessed foods, environmental toxins, stress, trauma and poor sleep play in chronic disease, the demand for action transcends partisanship.”

Most common diseases in America

Andy Tanner, D.O., a family medicine physician in West Virginia, said he’s seeing more chronic illnesses in patients, noting that his state is the “oldest and fattest in the country.” He was also at the White House on Thursday.

RFK JR’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED MAHA REPORT PAINTS DISMAL STATE OF CHILD HEALTH, NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS

Advertisement

“The big things we see a lot are diabetes, hypertension and obesity, kind of ‘the trifecta,’” he told Fox News Digital.

Some 38.4 million Americans had diabetes in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with excess sugar causing the common symptoms of fatigue, blurry vision, hunger and thirst.

“Americans are living shorter, sicker lives despite record healthcare spending.”

Tanner works with his diabetic patients to change their diets and improve their blood sugar levels.

“[But the] sad thing is, we’re just surrounded by bad food,” he said. “It’s hard to make good choices of what we eat, and we’re all guilty of it.”

Advertisement
Woman checking blood sugar

Over 350,000 children have been diagnosed with diabetes, and its prevalence among teens is more than one in four, according to the new MAHA report. (iStock)

Many people think of diabetes as being just a “sugar disease,” he pointed out, but it can become a vascular issue as it progresses, often leading to coronary disease or stroke.

The doctor noted that he is seeing “younger and younger” patients with diabetes.

Over 350,000 children have been diagnosed with the disease, and its prevalence among teens is more than one in four, according to the MAHA report.

THIS SIMPLE OUTDOOR ACTIVITY CAN IMPROVE AMERICANS’ HEALTH, SAYS GOVERNOR

Given its association with “bad food,” diabetes goes “hand in hand” with obesity, according to Tanner.

Advertisement

The MAHA report linked rising obesity rates with the consumption of ultraprocessed foods — which comprise nearly 70% of American children’s calorie consumption.

Tanner said obesity can lead to the diagnosis of other chronic illnesses, including hypertension (high blood pressure). 

Man with doctor

Some 38.4 million Americans had diabetes in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (iStock)

“Sometimes people with hypertension come in and report fatigue, headaches, sometimes blurred vision, sometimes with their blood pressure very high,” he told Fox News Digital. “They can have some very serious symptoms of stroke or heart attack.”

Hypertension is known as the “silent killer,” Tanner said, because many people don’t know they have the condition.

Smart actions to take

In most cases, resolving chronic illnesses starts with getting regular physical activity and eating the right foods, Tanner said.

Advertisement

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

“Diet and exercise are so important,” he said. “Those are such easy things for physicians to prescribe, but it’s much harder for patients to accomplish.”

He added, “[It’s] sometimes difficult to come home and prepare a good, healthy meal, and it’s easier to reach for things that are not healthy.”

A photo of an overweight man sitting on an old couch with a very large unhealthy meal on his lap and a pint of beer in his hand. Obesity is a major cause of diabetes.

“If our bodies aren’t healthy, our brains will never be,” said one health expert. (iStock)

Psychiatrist Daniel Amen, M.D., CEO of BrainMD in Los Angeles, was also in attendance during the MAHA report announcement.

“Chronic illness devastates mental health,” Amen told Fox News Digital. “It increases stress hormones that damage the brain, disrupts sleep (which turns off 700 health-promoting genes), and increases inflammation, which can lead to anxiety and depression,” he cautioned.

Advertisement

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

“If our bodies aren’t healthy, our brains will never be.”

When it comes to diet, Amen suggested, “Only choose foods you love that love you back and are good for your brain.”

trump rfk maha report split

The MAHA Commission, run by RFK Jr., is urging better nutrition and healthier diets, given that chronic diseases affect 133 million Americans. (iStock; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

McKenna noted that the MAHA Commission’s findings “affirm preventative solutions.”

Advertisement

“Better nutrition, cleaner food systems, and systematic transparency — as well as innovation — are not just possible, but urgently necessary to protect the health of our children and the future of the nation,” she added.

Continue Reading

Health

Denise Austin’s Healthy Warm Weather Eating Tips to Help You Lose Weight

Published

on

Denise Austin’s Healthy Warm Weather Eating Tips to Help You Lose Weight


Advertisement


Denise Austin’s Best Healthy Summer Eating Tips  | Woman’s World




















Advertisement











Advertisement




Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.


Use escape to exit the menu.

Advertisement

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending