Ludvigsson et al. 2023

Jonas F. Ludvigsson and colleagues published a systematic review (a careful look at all the studies, following a published search method) of hormone treatment in children with gender dysphoria — mood and daily life, thinking, body composition, and metabolic markers. This is a peer-reviewed evidence paper.

• Of 9,934 records, 24 studies were relevant: 21 of puberty blockers (GnRH analogues) in adolescents and 3 of hormones of the opposite sex without puberty blockers first. No gold-standard random-assignment trials were found.
• The few longer follow-up studies were hampered by small numbers and many dropouts. Long-term effects of hormone therapy on mental health could not be judged.
• Puberty blockers delay bone growth and bone-strength gain. That density was found to partially recover during later opposite-sex hormones when studied at age 22.
• Evidence to assess those effects is not enough. The authors offer a research checklist for future studies. DOI 10.1111/apa.16791.