A new study out of the Netherlands has thrown a hefty dose of cold water on the fiery narrative pushing for early gender transition surgeries among kids. Conducted over a whopping 15 years and tracking a not-so-small army of over 2,700 individuals from the tender age of 11 into their mid-twenties, this study, might just be the reality check we needed. Every three years, these participants were asked about their feelings toward their gender, and the findings? Well, they’re something to behold.
Initially, around 11% of these youngsters reported some level of gender non-contentedness—that’s a fancy term for not feeling too hot about the gender you were assigned at birth. But hold onto your hats, because by the ripe old age of 25, that number plummeted to just 4%. That’s right, a significant majority of these kids ended up comfortable in their own skin, without any need for medical interventions.
Now, before anyone starts accusing me of ignoring the struggles of those genuinely experiencing gender dysphoria, this isn’t about denying support or rights. It’s about pumping the brakes on a trend that’s seen an alarming rise in children receiving drugs and undergoing surgeries to change their gender—a decision as permanent as a tattoo from a Vegas trip, but with far more serious implications.
Patrick Brown from the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, chiming in on the discussion, pointed out that this study gives us “even more reason to be skeptical towards aggressive steps to facilitate gender transition in childhood and adolescence.” And honestly, he’s got a point. With such a drastic change in feelings over time, maybe, just maybe, we should be advocating for a bit more caution and a lot less haste.
The takeaway here? Puberty is confusing enough without adding irreversible medical decisions into the mix. This study isn’t just a wake-up call; it’s a siren blaring for a more cautious approach to how we handle gender non-contentedness in children. So, let’s put down the pitchforks, extinguish the torches, and maybe—just maybe—start listening to what the evidence is telling us. After all, when it comes to our kids’ futures, isn’t it better to err on the side of caution?
Sources: Daily Mail