Less than 0.1% of U.S. minors take gender-affirming medication, study finds

Main Idea: A new study says fewer than 0.1% of U.S. minors with private insurance are prescribed gender-affirming medication, as the Supreme Court weighs a Tennessee law restricting such care.

Key Points:

• The study in JAMA Pediatrics reviewed private insurance claims for more than 5.1 million children ages 8 to 17 from 2018 to 2022.
• It found no transgender patients under 12 were prescribed gender-affirming hormones.
• The authors said the numbers show this care is rare, not widespread, among minors.
• The findings come as the Supreme Court considers whether Tennessee’s ban on certain gender-affirming care for minors is constitutional.