A new study has found that teens who are “gender-questioning” have worse health outcomes. The world has come a long way in understanding that there are differences between sex and gender, and the struggles that the LGBTQ+ community face on a daily basis. However, there is still a long way to go and youth may be struggling with their identity. Teenagers are already in a process of “finding themselves,” but when you add in questions about their gender and sexuality, it can be even more confusing, and it is important to know how to support an individual who is on a journey of self-learning.According to Medical Xpress, a study has found that teenagers who are transgender, or gender-questioning have worse health outcomes. The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and it can be read in full here.RELATED: Transgenders' Mental Health Better When Hormones Started In Teen YearsWhen compared with cisgender youth (those whose gender matches their biological sex), transgender and gender-questioning youth have increased risk factors and worse outcomes in five areas of health. To complete the study, researchers used data from the 2017 and 2019 Youth Risk Behavior surveys.They wanted to look at risk factors and health outcomes when it came to gender minority adolescents. They looked at bullying, sexual and dating violence, mental health and suicidal thoughts, sexual risk behaviors, and substance use.In the study, they had more than 4,000 transgender individuals, more than 3,500 gender-questioning individuals, and more than 180,000 cisgendered individuals. They found that those who were transgender or gender-questioning had an increased risk of suffering in any of the categories listed above. Any of these health risks could carry long-term health impacts, and they need to be taken seriously.

A new study has shown that conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth is harmful. The LGBTQ+ community has come a long way in fighting for equal rights and using their voice. This has given power to youth to also speak their truth and be who they feel they really are. However, this comes with heavy stigma and there are methods that parents and experts may want to explore, all in the name of “helping” a youth. Conversion therapy is one of those routes, and studies are consistently being done to see if this type of treatment is helping, or if it is harming.According to US News, a new study has found that conversion therapy is harming LGBTQ+ teenagers. This is only one of the multiple studies that have been done showing that it causes harm. Conversion therapy is a treatment that is aimed at making the LGBTQ+ community “straight.”RELATED: "My Parents Would've Loved Me": Trans Man Warns Against Conversion TherapyThe study, which can be read in full here, looked at data from 28 published studies on conversion therapy, and it found that those who are made to go through it are suffering from more psychological distress and had much higher rates of depression and substance abuse.They also found that they had an increase in suicide attempts. This is also a costly form of treatment, and it costs nearly $100,000 per person. The researchers also stated that based on reports, there is an estimated more than half a million youth in the US who are at risk of conversion therapy. This means that conversion therapy costs the US over $9.2 billion every year, which researchers say is a cost that is causing harm to youth, and not helping them. Researchers are also stating that they need policymakers to stop funding for conversion therapy, because of the harm it has on youth, and that they need to protect them.

Florida has passed the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, as it comes one step closer to becoming law. While the LGBTQ community has come a long way to make sure they have equal rights and opportunities, there is still some progress to be made. This is an important conversation, as more youth are opening up about who they are and feel confident in speaking their truth. This has been shown to be beneficial for their mental health and wellbeing, and some experts think that this should be encouraged. School is where our youths spend a lot of their time, and it should be an environment that they feel safe in, and where they feel like they can be themselves.According to USA Today and NBC News, Florida lawmakers have now passed the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, and it has been sent to Governor Ron DeSantis for a signature to make it an official law.RELATED: Medical Treatment For Trans Youth Reduces Rates Of Self-HarmThis bill will restrict public school classrooms on talks about sexual orientation and gender identity. The official name of the legislation is “Parental Rights in Education,” and if it is made law, it will come into effect on July 1st, 2022.The bill was voted in by a 22-17 vote and the details of it are as follows. If it is made into law, it will prohibit school teachers from talking about sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten to Grade 3, however, it is not presently taught in those grades. When it comes to older grades, any instruction will have to be “age-appropriate.”There is some gray area in the bill, and while it prohibits instruction, it is not clear if this includes class discussions, but the supporters of the bill have said that they would not prevent that.

A new study has shown that medical treatment for transgender youth can reduce the rates of self-harm and other mental health issues. The LGBTQ community has come a long way to be recognized and accepted into the world, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. This is especially true for youth who are developing and starting to understand their sexuality and identity. For transgender youth, this can mean a lot, and it could mean that they seek medical treatment to help them transition so that their outside matches what they feel on the inside.Transgender youth are also suffering with mental health issues, and work needs to be done to see how they can be helped. According to US News, a new study is showing that medical treatments for trans youth can cut the rates of depression and suicidal thoughts.RELATED: Transgenders' Mental Health Better When Hormones Started In Teen YearsThe study was published in the journal, JAMA Network Open, and it can be read in full here. Researchers completed this study by tracking the mental health of 104 transgender and nonbinary children who were all between the ages of 13 and 20 years old.Over the course of a year, a third of the participants had received puberty blockers, gender-affirming hormone treatment or both. The remaining participants did not receive any medical treatment. When they followed the group, they saw that the individuals who had received treatment had a 60% drop in depression risk, and a 73% drop in suicidal thoughts on average. Diana Tordoff was the lead author on the study, and she stated that these findings are just adding the mounds of evidence they already have that accessing care is helping the mental health of these youth, and it is quite literally, saving their lives.

A new study is showing that mental health in transgender individuals is stronger if they started hormones when they were a teenager. The LGBTQ community has come a long way in making sure that their rights are protected, but there is still a long way to go. Due to awareness and inclusion, youth are starting to realize who they are at a younger age, and we are seeing more youth coming out as transgender than in previous decades. While this can be a challenging transitional time for the whole family, transgender youth are usually interested in hormone therapy to help them feel comfortable in their own skin.Hormones continue to be a controversial issue, especially when it comes to youth starting them. According to Medical Xpress, a new study is showing that starting hormones as a transgender teenager may protect their mental health when they are older. This study was done by Stanford University Medical Center, and it can be read in full here.RELATED: Transgender Youth Who Socially Transition Are Pyschologically Doing Just As Well As Their Cisgender PeersThe study found that starting gender-affirming hormone treatment during youth years is linked to better mental health rather than waiting until they are an adult. This information can be a great tool when advocating for transgender rights.To complete the study, researchers looked at data from the largest survey ever done on US transgender adults.This was from 2015, and it included more than 27,000 participants. The study found that transgender individuals who had started hormone treatment as teenagers reported fewer thoughts of suicide and were less likely to suffer from serious mental health illnesses. They were also less likely to engage in substance abuse issues. They also showed a general improvement in mental health when compared to the other participants in the study.

We all know that the teenage years are hard. However, LGBTQ+ teens face even more difficulties than the average adolescent. LGBTQ+ teens face increased rates of abuse, bullying or victimization than the majority of their peers. LGBTQ+ youth also face alienation from their own families, church homes, and other parts of society, and these hardships can ultimately affect a teen’s self-esteem and mental health.