A new study is challenging a major argument LGBTQ advocates wield to demand unrestricted transgender treatments for minors.
Statewide laws restricting puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and transgender surgeries for minors lead to more suicides among young adults, LGBTQ activists argue. But the recent study, conducted by “Do No Harm” researchers Ian Kingsbury and Jay Greene, claims they have found no evidence of a surge in suicide rates among teens following state bans on such procedures.
The researchers examined suicide rates from 2018 through 2024. They compared suicide rates among 15-19-year-olds in states that implemented bans on transgender medical interventions for minors with rates in states that had no such bans. Using different statistical approaches, the researchers discovered that there were no statistically significant changes in teen suicide rates.
One finding revealed that the suicide rates were about 0.3% lower when restrictions were adopted in states with such laws. The researchers pulled the numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which had detailed data on teens from the ages of 15 to 19. The .3% offers no statistical anomaly to indicate that such laws increased or lowered suicide rates among teens, the study says.
Examining the country as a whole, the researchers also found no correlation between monthly suicide data for teenagers aged 13 to 17 and state restrictions. They tracked changes on a monthly basis and followed the adoption of state-wide restrictions on such treatments and discovered no increase in national suicide rates in the age range.
The researchers also analyzed several reports LGBTQ advocates have cited to champion the idea that transgender treatments for minors minimizes suicide risks. According to the researchers, the earlier studies had “serious” and “profound” limitations. One such limitation is that some of the studies relied on surveys—not official suicide records. Instead of analyzing completed suicides, other studies examined suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts. The researchers also found that many studies were observational studies—studies in which researchers selected which teenagers received transgender treatment and which teenagers did not rather than relying on random selection. The “Do No Harm” study argues that observational studies blur the causes of different mental-health outcomes, since some teens face different levels of mental-health problems, and selecting which child will undergo a gender transition treatment can be subject to manipulation to bring about desired results.
The report says the findings indicate “no evidence to support the claim that state bans on gender interventions for minors led to a spike in suicide rates.”
“Very bold claims have been made that state prohibitions on the use of surgeries, puberty blockers, or cross-sex hormones to treat minors with gender dysphoria would lead to a spike in suicides,” the report said, adding, “None of these analyses yields a result that is anywhere close to showing a statistically significant change in suicide rates resulting from state policy changes.”
Relevant Scripture:, Genesis 1:27, Isaiah 45:9, Revelation 4:11
