Overview
- The JAMA Pediatrics cohort study published on November 9, 2026 found that 96.8% of people who began hormone therapy in adolescence said it was the right decision, 2.7% reported any regret, and 1.9% said they felt harmed.
- Researchers analyzed self-reported surveys collected from nearly 400 participants between 2023 and 2025 to measure decisional regret using a standard decision-regret score.
- The study reported higher regret scores among participants who were no longer on hormones and among nonbinary respondents, and it found no link between regret and younger age at treatment.
- Study authors wrote that the results bolster existing standards of care and do not provide evidence to support categorical bans on youth hormone therapy, a claim that has been used to justify laws in 27 U.S. states.
- The paper adds to earlier peer-reviewed work from 2021 and 2022 showing mental-health benefits from gender-affirming care, and the findings could influence clinical debate and ongoing legal and policy challenges even though they do not by themselves change existing laws.