McArdle incorrect; there are studies on value of transgender care

Published 1:30 am Friday, May 12, 2023

In her May 4 column, regarding transgender health care for youths and adults, Washington Post columnist Meagan McArdle makes more mistakes than I have room to discuss in a letter. Her most glaring error is when she says, “there’s still no high-quality evidence that (affirming care) is beneficial for children.”

McArdle is wrong. There are dozens of studies that show exactly that. A recent one was published in the Journal of American Medical Association network on Feb. 25, 2022, “Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary Youths Receiving Gender-Affirming Care.”

The authors concluded that transgender minors, undergoing affirming care, are 73 percent less likely to entertain suicidal ideation than their peers who do not receive such care.

Children’s lives are at stake. McArdle should be more careful.

Melissa C. Batson

Monroe