Number of Australian children being treated for gender dysphoria revealed

Figures obtained through Freedom of Information have revealed how many Aussie kids are seeking treatment in gender clinics, as mental health clinicians call for a public inquiry.

The number of Australian children enrolled in public adolescent gender clinics has skyrocketed in the past eight years, exclusive new data reveals.

But the true figure is believed to be far higher, because it doesn’t count kids treated in private facilities or by GPs.

There were 2067 young people attending public clinics in 2021, almost 10 times the number in 2014, when there were 211 children.

The number of under 18s being prescribed puberty suppressing drugs shot up from five in 2014 to 624 in 2019, but dropped to 198 in 2021, possibly due to Covid lockdowns.

In 2021, 204 adolescents were on cross sex hormones to encourage the development of sexual characteristics opposite to their biological sex, up from 27 in 2014.

Psychologist Dianna Kenny says the number of children enrolled in public gender clinics is a “gross underestimate’ of the total number being treated for gender dysphoria in Australia. Picture: Toby Zerna

Psychologist and academic Dianna Kenny said the data from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests was just the tip of the iceberg and a “gross underestimate” of what is really happening across Australia.

“These numbers show a trend and that is upwards,” Dr Kenny said.

“They don’t include figures from the private sector, where there’s been an explosion of private practitioners prescribing puberty blockers or cross sex hormones.”

The FOIs also show that the numbers of kids enrolled in gender clinics are growing proportionally faster in Victoria and Queensland, than in other states.

The number of children in public clinics receiving puberty blockers or cross sex hormones due to gender dysphoria have been revealed.

There were 1120 kids enrolled in public clinics in Victoria last year and 635 in Queensland.

Meanwhile, the number of kids on puberty blockers have dropped in Queensland from a high of 171 in 2018 to 70 in 2021, but it is still the highest number of any state. NSW and Victoria saw its highest numbers yet in 2021, 49 and 42 respectively.

Queensland’s public clinics had 83 children on cross sex hormones in 2021, the highest of any state, while Victoria had 78 and WA 37. There are no figures for NSW or SA.

Dr Kenny believes some of the rise is down to trans ideology on social media, which may explain why the number of biological girls questioning their gender now far exceeds boys.

She criticised the affirmation approach – which starts from the point of accepting the child’s beliefs – claiming it does not explore thoroughly enough other factors that may be influencing decisions, including mental health.

Labor politician Greg Donnelly wants a royal commission into how children with gender dysphoria should be treated. Picture: AAP

NSW Labor politician Greg Donnelly said new draft guidelines by the National Health Service in the UK said most children with gender dysphoria are going through a “transient phase” and that doctors should “carefully explore” all underlying health problems, including mental ill health.

It found the adolescent gender clinic Tavistock in the UK had been influenced by ideology, rather than evidence-based research and as a result is closing next year.

Finland and Sweden have also issued warnings about the “affirmation” approach.

“I think there should be some kind of judicial review or a Royal Commission,” Mr Donnelly said.

Dr Philip Morris has renewed calls for a public inquiry.

President of the National Association of Practising Psychiatrists Philip Morris has renewed calls for a national inquiry into how to treat Australian children with gender dysphoria.

“The magnitude of the effects on a young person’s life, especially children and adolescents, is huge,” Dr Morris said.

“It involves ongoing medical treatment for the rest of their lives, loss of their fertility and sexual responsiveness. It’s absolutely essential to have a proper strategy as is happening in the UK, Sweden and Finland.”

Eloise Brook, who works at The Gender Centre in Sydney, and is a trans woman herself, said numbers are rising because young people are more easily able to find information on the internet and they feel more comfortable disclosing how they identify.

She said numbers are yet to peak, but they will eventually stabilise.

Eloise Brook from The Gender Clinic in Sydney. Picture: Supplied

Ms Brook said putting up more barriers to children accessing treatment will put lives at risk, revealing her centre supported 347 families with a child with gender dysphoria in 2021/2022, of which 68 were on suicide watch.

“We did not lose one of them,” Ms Brook said.

“Because of the science we provided the appropriate care. We are a frontline service. We help families, hold them together and make sure their kids stay alive.

“Anything else is utterly unacceptable and barbaric.

“This disingenuous argument that trans kids are not trans, it kills these kids.”

She defended the affirmation approach, which is recommended by The Australian Professional Association for Trans Health (AusPATH), which describes itself as Australia’s peak body for professionals involved in the health, rights and wellbeing of all trans people.

In response to the UK’s new draft guidelines on treating children with gender dysphoria, AusPATH released a statement saying that stance was “likely to cause enormous harm and exacerbate the higher rates of suicidality experienced by these young people in the context of ongoing pathologisation and discrimination”.

Originally published as Number of Australian children being treated for gender dysphoria revealed