Yes trans people exist, and gender healthcare can save their lives

Users across social media have responded to recent claims that trans children don’t exist, with an innovative study that showed, not only do they obviously exist, but that accessing gender-affirming care can potentially be life-saving.

The Australian report, published in 2023 – the first randomised controlled study of its kind – showed that trans and non-binary people with gender dysphoria are significantly more mentally well-adjusted and less likely to have suicidal ideation when accessing gender-affirming care.

Published in the American Medical Association’s open-access journal Jama Network, the research looked at 64 transgender and gender-diverse participants, all of whom wanted to access masculinising hormones. One set were immediately given testosterone while a control group had a three-month waiting period.

The treatment was shown to significantly reduce suicidal thoughts and depression, with those who had immediate access to testosterone reporting a 55 per cent reduction in suicidality, compared with a five per cent reduction in the control group.

Depression scores in the treatment group halved once participants had been administered testosterone. Symptoms of gender dysphoria also decreased.

“The findings of the trial suggest that testosterone therapy significantly decreases gender dysphoria, depression and suicidality in transgender and gender-diverse individuals desiring testosterone therapy,” the study concluded.

The results of the study have come to light again following the claims that trans youngsters don’t exist.

“Conservatives and transphobes… think they know better than licensed psychologists because they no longer tell them what they want to hear,” one person wrote on social media.

Another said: “It’s been confirmed so many times now. Positive media representation improves mental health for queer folks too.”

Suicide is preventable. Readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org), or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). ​Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.