Transgender youth health

Transgender children and adolescents do not identify with the gender presumed for them at birth and have unique health care needs that warrant further research.

Being transgender or gender diverse, also referred to as ‘trans,’ is not a mental health problem but rather part of the natural spectrum of human diversity. Nonetheless, many young trans people experience gender dysphoria and other mental health concerns.

Gender dysphoria is the distress felt by people whose gender (sense of being male, female or something else) differs from that was assigned for them at birth based on their genital appearance. For some trans people, this difference between their gender identity and physical characteristics can cause significant distress.

Referrals of young trans individuals to clinical services have risen considerably across the Western world.

There is increasing evidence that providing supportive clinical care to trans children and adolescents significantly improves their health and wellbeing, but many young trans people lack access to such care.

Who does it affect?

Recent estimates suggest that the prevalence of young people identifying as trans is about one in 100 in the Western world, much higher than previously thought.
About 45,000 school children in Australia, or about 1.2%, are thought to identify as trans.
The number of referrals to the Royal Children’s Hospital Gender Service has grown considerably in recent years, with around 800 new referrals in 2021.

Our transgender health research

Our team’s overall objective is to produce high-quality research evidence that improves the health and wellbeing of young trans people in Australia and globally.

Our research activities have been developed in consultation with our community advisory group, consisting of young trans people and their parents, plus organisations that support trans youth.

Studies we are conducting include:

A large longitudinal study, known as Trans20, is determining the long-term physical and mental health outcomes of trans children and adolescents attending the Royal Children’s Hospital Gender Service.
A research program examining the role of novel psychological interventions to better support trans young people, especially those who currently face long waiting times to access services
Studies examining the physical and cognitive effects of medications used to suppress unwanted pubertal development in trans adolescents
A project to better understand the concept of gender euphoria, which describes the positive feelings that arise in relation to a person’s gender identity and how they are able to express or affirm this identity
Research projects exploring various ethical issues related to the provision of health care to trans young people.

Impacts of our research

Our team developed the inaugural Australian Standards of Care and Treatment Guidelines for Transgender and Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents.
We helped to form a new national research network in child and adolescent transgender health
We are leading the Trans20 project, an NHMRC-funded longitudinal cohort study. This study started in 2017 and is following the health and wellbeing of more than 600 young trans people throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. In time, data from this project will address important issues such as the evolution of gender identity over time and health and wellbeing outcomes after different gender-affirming interventions, both medical and psychosocial
Our research contributed to the Royal Children’s Hospital Gender Service being awarded The Minister for Mental Health’s Award for Excellence at the 2018 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards.

Our vision

Our team’s vision is ultimately to improve the healthcare, wellbeing and overall outcomes of trans children and adolescents and their families.

Where to next?

Looking ahead, in consultation with the trans community, we aim to continue conducting innovative research, such as our flagship Trans20 study, that will allow us to achieve this vision.