Report retracted: Gender dysphoria diagnoses rise in Ohio
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Editor's note: After this article was published Jan. 19, 2024, the company that was the source of the data, Definitive Healthcare, retracted its report and removed the link to the findings.
- Axios pressed Definitive Healthcare for an explanation multiple times. On Feb. 2, the company sent Axios a statement: "Upon review, we determined that the analysis cited in the referenced article was below our standards, so we elected to retract the article."
- Based on that statement, Axios is no longer confident in the report. For transparency, the original article remains below. The map has been removed.
Gender dysphoria diagnoses in Ohio jumped by 75% between 2018 and 2022, according to a new Definitive Healthcare analysis.
Why it matters: The nearly nationwide increase in recent years suggests growing demand for gender-affirming care, even amid efforts in Ohio and many other states to restrict access.
The big picture: Diagnoses rose in nearly every state in that time frame, falling only in South Dakota, which last year moved to restrict gender-affirming care for minors.
Be smart: Gender dysphoria is a form of psychological distress felt by people who believe their assigned sex fails to match their gender identity.
- Not all transgender people experience or are diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
- But such a diagnosis is often a first step when seeking gender-related mental health care or gender-affirming care, in order to access treatment and activate insurance coverage.
What's happening: It appears that young Americans are increasingly open to seeking this care.
- The share of gender dysphoria diagnoses among patients under 18 increased from 17.5% to 20.4% between 2018-2022, perhaps a reflection of trans identities and gender identity ideas becoming "more accepted by society," per the report.
Go deeper: Ohio Senate vote marks latest battle over transgender rights