Yet Another Study Confirms Gender “Transitions” Harm Kids

by Ken Ham on April 16, 2026
Featured in Ken Ham Blog

A new study was just released this month looking at adolescents in Finland from 1996–2019 who “contacted Specialised Gender Identity Services.” The results are no surprise to those who understand God’s very good design of male and female: Children who “transition” to the opposite gender suffer terrible mental health outcomes (not to mention the physical problems associated with these hormones and surgeries!).

The study looked at all under-23-year-old “gender-referred individuals” in Finland from between 1996 and 2019 (2,083 individuals) and had 16,643 matched controls. And what did they find? Here’s what they say in the study results:

Gender-referred adolescents showed significantly higher psychiatric morbidity than controls both before (45.7% vs. 15.0%) and ≥ 2 years after referral (61.7% vs. 14.6%). Those referred after 2010 had greater psychiatric needs than earlier cohorts, both before (47.9% vs. 15.3%) and ≥ 2 years after (61.3% vs. 14.2%) referral. Among adolescents who underwent medical gender reassignment, psychiatric morbidity increased markedly during follow-up—rising from 9.8% to 60.7% in feminising gender reassignment and from 21.6% to 54.5% in masculinising gender reassignment.

Those are extremely high numbers. “Psychiatric morbidity” (mental health/illness issues) increased from 10% to 61% for boys and from 22% to 55% for girls who underwent these “treatments” (many of which are irreversible—and others often leave long-term side effects)! The study conclusion was:

Severe psychiatric morbidity is common among gender-referred adolescents and appears to be more prevalent in those referred after the recent surge in referrals. Psychiatric needs do not subside after medical gender reassignment.

Despite studies like these, concerned and vulnerable parents are told over and over—often in front of their kids—by these “gender reassignment” doctors or therapists, “Do you want a dead daughter or a living son?” Parents are warned that if they don’t push their child toward life-altering hormones and body-mutilating surgeries, their child’s mental health will deteriorate toward suicide. What they aren’t told is that studies find that medically “transitioning” a child doesn’t work!

They need help to accept the body God gave them and live according to God’s design.

And that’s no surprise. That child is actively living in opposition to God’s design for them as a male or as a female. There is no such thing as a “transgender” child. There are children who are confused about their bodies, and they don’t need their bodies mutilated—they need help to accept the body God gave them and live according to God’s design.

Sexuality and gender was the topic of our recent Answers for Women conference at the Ark Encounter. Around 3,000 women were equipped on this topic, and we heard rave reviews—they were so thankful for the biblically sound teaching and encouraging testimonies. The conference sessions will soon be available on the AiG streaming platform, Answers TV (in about 60 days), so I encourage you to get a subscription so you can be equipped and strengthened.

Over 2,000 women are already registered for next year’s Answers for Women, Steadfast: Unwavering Faith for Fearful Times, featuring myself and Dr. Georgia Purdom, along with Ruth Chou Simons, Heidi St. John, Abbie Halberstadt, Susan Heck, and many others—and a concert from the Gettys. You can again choose between the duplicate weekday and weekend conferences (April 5–7, 2027 and April 8–10, 2027) that will be held at the Ark Encounter. Early bird pricing is available now, so be sure to register before it sells out! (Registration includes 5-day admission to the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter.)

Yes, God’s Word is true on everything it talks about, including gender—and science just continues to confirm it.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.

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