Expanded Pamphlet Text and Sources

Gender dysphoria is a condition in which a person feels incongruent with their biological sex, causing extreme psychological distress.[1]

“Gender Affirming Care” is promoted as a lifesaving treatment. It involves social and medical transition: the patient dressing as the opposite sex while taking puberty blockers and/or cross-sex hormones to alter their physical features.

Studies have shown that 43-75% of adolescents with gender dysphoria have at least one type of psychiatric comorbidity.[2] “Gender Affirming Care” ignores many of these contributing factors to gender dysphoria [3], such as:

• Anxiety disorders

• Mood disorders

• Depression

• Eating disorders

• Autism spectrum disorders

• Dissociative identity disorders

• Substance abuse

• Childhood trauma

Affirmative Care Harms Children and Teens

Comprehensive studies show “affirmative care” is not safe and effective despite being seen by proponents as a cure to gender dysphoria.[4][5]

Many homosexual or gender nonconforming teens may confuse their anxiety disorders, eating disorders, autism spectrum disorders, or childhood trauma with gender incongruity and dysphoria.

The “affirmative care” model prescribes puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to pre-pubertal children and teenagers who are distressed about their bodies or have sex-atypical interests.[6] 98% of adolescents on blockers will go on to take cross-sex hormones.[7]

Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones can compromise bone health [8], prevent maturation of the brain [9], cause infertility [10], deteriorate genitalia [11], and triple the risk of cardiovascular disease.[12]

Puberty blockers like Lupron are the same drugs used in cancer treatment and the castration of sex offenders.[13] Many of the effects can be permanent in children and adults.[14]

An International Crisis

Countries across the world have seen massive spikes in referrals to gender clinics. England saw a 1460% increase in boys and a 5337% increase in girls being referred to gender clinics in under a decade.[15][16][17]

The harmful effects of childhood transition have caused countries like Finland, Sweden, and Norway to halt pediatric transition.[18][19][20]. And England’s Tavistock gender clinic (set to close in 2023) gave blockers and cross-sex hormones to thousands of children and teens under “affirmative care” without considering mental health comorbidities.[21]

Myth of a Trans Child or a Dead Child

A common argument for childhood transition says, "Would you rather have a dead child, or a trans child?"[22] No data has shown that children with gender dysphoria will take their own lives if they do not have access to medical or social transition.[23]

Studies have shown anywhere from 61-98% of trans-identifying children and adolescents "outgrow" their gender dysphoria when reaching an older age.[24][25][26]

The most truthful and compassionate approach toward a child questioning their gender is two-fold:

• Allow them to explore their interests without expectations of how a boy or girl should express themselves.

• Provide them with adequate psychological care surrounding other mental health concerns.