Is Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria a Misunderstood Myth?

A new study challenges a controversial 2018 study, confirming that no evidence supports the existence of rapid-onset gender dysphoria. Researchers say the ROGD hypothesis is harmful and perpetuates fear and discrimination against the trans community.

First-of-Its-Kind Research

A first-of-its-kind study by Schulich Medicine & Dentistry researchers therefore dispels a controversial gender dysphoria theory that activists and specialists have referred to as inaccurate and harmful to transgender people.

The Research Team

Greta Bauer, Ph.D., and her research team at Trans Youth CAN! consequently found no proof in a very recent study to support the concept of fast-onset ROGD—a planned condition usually used as an argument against providing gender-affirming medical aid to young people.

Understanding Gender Dysphoria

When someone has gender dysphoria, they believe their identity does not align with the gender they were given at birth.

Background on ROGD

In 2018, researchers within the U.S. claimed ROGD was a unique pathway in which youth experiencing puberty suddenly developed gender dysphoria influenced by social and peer contagion, along with other factors including poor mental state or parent-child conflict. Bauer said that paper has “taken on a life of its own” within the 3 years since its publication, purporting that youths’ gender identity could be influenced by their queer peers and fueling the notion that kids would possibly establish as trans or non-binary as a part of a temporary phase.

Implications of the 2018 Study on Gender Dysphoria

The 2018 internet survey of parents raised concerns about potential regrets regarding gender-affirming treatment for youth in the future; therefore, many advocates called for more comprehensive discussions on this topic.

Recent Findings on Gender Dysphoria from Trans Youth CAN!

Trans Youth CAN! The Journal of Pediatrics published study findings on youth referred for blockers or hormones. Specifically, researchers analyzed clinical data from 173 Canadian trans adolescents seen in ten gender clinics. They examined thirteen factors aligned with the ROGD hypothesis, including social contagion, mental state, and maladaptive coping variables.

Conclusion

Bauer and her team found nothing in their analysis to support rapid-onset gender dysphoria as a definite clinical phenomenon. Furthermore, recent gender information showed no significant links to depressive symptoms, psychological distress, mental health issues, or self-harm behaviors.