As U.S. lawmakers debate issues around health care for transgender youth, it’s been difficult to determine the number of young people receiving gender-affirming medications, leaving room for exaggerated and false claims.
Now, a medical journal has published the most reliable estimate yet and the numbers are low, reflecting more clearly on medical practices now being weighed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Fewer than 1 in 1,000 U.S. adolescents with commercial insurance received gender-affirming medications — puberty blockers or hormones — during a recent five-year period, according to the study released Monday.
At least 26 states have adopted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, and most of those states face lawsuits. A decision by the Supreme Court in a Tennessee case is expected later this year. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to roll back protections for transgender people.
“We are not seeing inappropriate use of this sort of care," said lead author Landon Hughes, a Harvard University public health researcher. “And it’s certainly not happening at the rate at which people often think it is.”
The researchers analyzed a large insurance claims database covering more than 5 million patients ages 8 to 17.
Only 926 adolescents with a gender-related diagnosis received puberty blockers from 2018 through 2022. During that time, 1,927 received hormones. The findings, published in JAMA Pediatrics, suggest that fewer than 0.1% of all youth in the database received these medications.
The researchers found that no patients under age 12 were prescribed hormones, an indication that doctors are appropriately cautious about when to start such treatments, Hughes said.
“I hope that our paper cools heads on this issue and ensures that the public is getting a true sense of the number of people who are accessing this care,” he said.
The database included insurance plans in all 50 states, but did not include youth covered by Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for low-income people.
The study did not look at surgeries among transgender adolescents. Other researchers have found those procedures are extremely rare among young people.
Not all transgender youth proceed with medical treatments, said Dr. Scott Leibowitz, co-lead author of the adolescent standards of care for the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, a leading transgender health group.
Transgender adolescents “come to understand their gender at different times and in different ways,” he said, noting that the best care should include experts in adolescent identity development who can work with families to help figure out what’s appropriate for each young person.
Leibowitz, who has worked in gender clinics in several U.S. cities, said the study “adds to the growing evidence base about best practices when serving transgender and gender diverse youth.”
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
FILE - A vial of testosterone is prepared for injection at a home in Florida, on May 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Laura Bargfeld)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Coach Steve Kerr criticized his Golden State Warriors for being down and lacking “a competitive spirit" in their latest embarrassing loss.
“If you don’t have that you’ve got nothing, so we’ve got to find a way to build that back up,” Kerr said after a 114-98 loss to the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.
That followed a 30-point pounding from the Sacramento Kings two nights earlier.
Draymond Green is calling for the Warriors to rediscover their soul.
Stephen Curry is making it clear he can hardly do it all himself.
At one moment in the second half on Tuesday the two-time MVP looked up at the scoreboard almost as if in disbelief about how it was going. The Warriors are missing shots and missing defensive assignments when it matters most.
“Back-to-back no-shows pretty much,” Curry said. “... Nobody's giving up hope. You've got to have a sense of urgency, though.”
There’s a lot of soul searching going on for this group at Chase Center.
Green addressed the team after Tuesday's demoralizing performance.
“We can’t be front-runners, we have to dig in, we have to find our soul, that’s what Draymond kind of said,” Trace Jackson-Davis shared. “It’s our soul that we’ve lost, we’ve lost our spirit and we have to get that back.”
Golden State shot 14 for 50 from 3-point range and went 40 of 98 overall (40.8%).
Curry wants no finger-pointing or comparisons, just a collective effort to turn the season around — acknowledging "this particular team hasn't done anything."
“At the end of the day we are a team and we are all tied together, we're all accountable for the results of each night how our season ends up," Curry said. “It's not just a me and Draymond thing, it's not just a me thing, it's a we thing. So what we all need to do is play with confidence, play with assertiveness, play with a belief that when you step on the floor you can beat anybody. Whether it happens or not that has to be the mindset.”
The Warriors missed the playoffs last year then began this season a promising 12-3 and with championship aspirations as Curry and Draymond Green try to add to the four titles they've captured together.
“When you experience winning you hate losing even more,” Curry said.
Now, Golden State is 18-18 and tied for ninth place with San Antonio in the jammed-up Western Conference. The Warriors were a 10th seed last season and were eliminated by the Kings in the play-in tournament.
Sure, forward Jonathan Kuminga is sidelined for at least a few weeks with a sprained right ankle, while guards Gary Payton II and Brandin Podziemski are expected back from injuries sometime during the upcoming four-game road trip.
Frustrated fans flocked for the exits early for a second straight game at Chase Center, where the blowout by the Kings still stung.
“I expected better energy. I think we're suffering from a crisis of confidence right now frankly,” Kerr said. “You can see it, you can feel it. I don't mind missed shots but I mind when missed shots affect the defense and the attitude. We feel deflated right now and there's no room for feeling sorry for ourselves in the NBA. In life in general. We can't let disappointment dictate our approach to a game, we have to do the opposite. We have to bring more fire, we have to outcompete our opponents when things aren't going our way.”
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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green reacts after scoring against the Miami Heat during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, right, speaks with referee J.T. Orr during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry reacts after scoring against the Miami Heat during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) moves the ball while defended by Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry looks to the scoreboard during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr gestures during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
