Safeguarding the health and wellbeing of transgender young people

Abstract

Transgender (hereafter referred to as trans) people have a gender that is different from the sex assigned to them at birth (Box 1). It is estimated that globally, 1.2–2.7% of people under 19 years identify as trans.1 In recent years, there has been a rise in anti‐trans campaigns in Australia and overseas. As a result, young trans people are subject to increasing vitriol and discrimination, which represents a clear and present danger to an already marginalised population. The current pattern of public discourse represents a public health risk and poses similar concerns to the debate surrounding marriage equality in Australia several years ago, which had a negative impact on the mental health ..