Rapid-onset gender dysphoria controversy

Rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) is a controversial, scientifically unsupported hypothesis which claims that some adolescents identify as transgender and experience gender dysphoria due to peer influence and social contagion.^[5] ROGD is not recognized as a valid mental health diagnosis by any major professional association, which discourage its use due to a lack of reputable scientific evidence for the concept, major methodological issues in existing research, and its stigmatization of gender-affirming care for transgender youth.^[3]^[4]^[6]^[7] The paper initially proposing the concept was based on surveys of parents of transgender youth recruited from three anti-trans websites;^[3]^[4] following its publication, it was re-reviewed and a correction was issued highlighting that ROGD is not a clinically validated phenomenon.^[11] Since the paper's publication, the concept has frequently been cited in legislative attempts to restrict the rights of transgender youth.^[3]^[4]^[6]

^ Cite error: The named reference Wadman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference CHE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Cite error: The named reference Kesslen-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Broderick, Timmy (August 24, 2023). "Evidence Undermines 'Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria' Claims". Scientific American. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
^
Multiple sources.
- For the controversy, see Wadman (2018)^[1] and Bartlett (2019).^[2]
- For the lack of scientific evidence, see Kesslen (2022)^[3] and Broderick (2023).^[4]
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference CAAPS-2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference WPATH-2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Knutson, David (16 September 2016). "PLOS appoints Dr. Joerg Heber Editor-in-Chief of PLOS ONE | The Official PLOS Blog". Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^ Cite error: The named reference Heber-2019b was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference PLOSCorrection was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^
Not a clinically validated phenomenon:
- From the MIT Technology Review: "PLOS One reissued the study with a large correction emphasizing that Littman's paper was simply a 'descriptive, exploratory' one and had not been clinically validated."^[3]
- From Scientific American: "The American Psychological Association and 61 other health care providers’ organizations signed a letter in 2021 denouncing the validity of rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) as a clinical diagnosis."^[4]
- Joerg Heber, speaking in 2019 as editor-in-chief of PLOS One,^[8] which published Littman's article and the correction, wrote the following, in an apology pubished at PLOS One: "In our view, the corrected article now provides a better context of the work, as a report of parental observations, but not a clinically validated phenomenon or a diagnostic guideline."^[9]
- In a correction of the original article published in PLOS One in 2019, author Lisa Littman stated: "Rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) is not a formal mental health diagnosis at this time. This report did not collect data from the adolescents and young adults (AYAs) or clinicians and therefore does not validate the phenomenon."^[10]

[Wadman-1] Cite error: The named reference Wadman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[CHE-2] Cite error: The named reference CHE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Kesslen-2022-3] Cite error: The named reference Kesslen-2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Broderick-4] Broderick, Timmy (August 24, 2023). "Evidence Undermines 'Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria' Claims". Scientific American. Retrieved 2024-02-13.

[5] Multiple sources.
For the controversy, see Wadman (2018)^[1] and Bartlett (2019).^[2]

For the lack of scientific evidence, see Kesslen (2022)^[3] and Broderick (2023).^[4]

[6] For the controversy, see Wadman (2018)^[1] and Bartlett (2019).^[2]

[7] For the lack of scientific evidence, see Kesslen (2022)^[3] and Broderick (2023).^[4]

[CAAPS-2021-6] Cite error: The named reference CAAPS-2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[WPATH-2018-7] Cite error: The named reference WPATH-2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Heber-2019a-8] Knutson, David (16 September 2016). "PLOS appoints Dr. Joerg Heber Editor-in-Chief of PLOS ONE | The Official PLOS Blog". Retrieved 13 March 2024.

[Heber-2019b-9] Cite error: The named reference Heber-2019b was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[PLOSCorrection-10] Cite error: The named reference PLOSCorrection was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[11] Not a clinically validated phenomenon:
From the MIT Technology Review: "PLOS One reissued the study with a large correction emphasizing that Littman's paper was simply a 'descriptive, exploratory' one and had not been clinically validated."^[3]

From Scientific American: "The American Psychological Association and 61 other health care providers’ organizations signed a letter in 2021 denouncing the validity of rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) as a clinical diagnosis."^[4]

Joerg Heber, speaking in 2019 as editor-in-chief of PLOS One,^[8] which published Littman's article and the correction, wrote the following, in an apology pubished at PLOS One: "In our view, the corrected article now provides a better context of the work, as a report of parental observations, but not a clinically validated phenomenon or a diagnostic guideline."^[9]

In a correction of the original article published in PLOS One in 2019, author Lisa Littman stated: "Rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) is not a formal mental health diagnosis at this time. This report did not collect data from the adolescents and young adults (AYAs) or clinicians and therefore does not validate the phenomenon."^[10]

[14] From the MIT Technology Review: "PLOS One reissued the study with a large correction emphasizing that Littman's paper was simply a 'descriptive, exploratory' one and had not been clinically validated."^[3]

[15] From Scientific American: "The American Psychological Association and 61 other health care providers’ organizations signed a letter in 2021 denouncing the validity of rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) as a clinical diagnosis."^[4]

[16] Joerg Heber, speaking in 2019 as editor-in-chief of PLOS One,^[8] which published Littman's article and the correction, wrote the following, in an apology pubished at PLOS One: "In our view, the corrected article now provides a better context of the work, as a report of parental observations, but not a clinically validated phenomenon or a diagnostic guideline."^[9]

[17] In a correction of the original article published in PLOS One in 2019, author Lisa Littman stated: "Rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) is not a formal mental health diagnosis at this time. This report did not collect data from the adolescents and young adults (AYAs) or clinicians and therefore does not validate the phenomenon."^[10]

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