Three per cent of US high-school students identify as trans, survey shows
Three 3 per cent of US high schoolers identify as transgender, a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey has found. (Getty Images)
Three per cent of high-school students in the US now identify as transgender, according to the latest research.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) first nationally representative survey about transgender students revealed that 3.3 per cent of high-school pupils identified as trans last year while 2.2 per cent were questioning if they were transgender.
The study also highlighted health disparities faced by trans students, with almost 26 per cent reporting that they had attempted suicide in the past year. Just five per cent of cisgender male and 11 per cent of cisgender female students had tried to take their own life.
Findings call for ‘more supportive’ environments for trans and questioning students
A high number of trans and questioning students surveyed were also found to have experienced feelings of sadness or hopelessness, with about 40 per cent of them having been bullied at school.
And close to 11 per cent of transgender students experienced unstable housing in the 30 days prior to completing the survey, compared with 10 per cent of questioning pupils, 2.1 per cent of cisgender males and 1.8 per cent of cisgender females.
In response to the results, the CDC urged schools to “create safer and more supportive environments for transgender and questioning students”, adding: “The findings of this report suggest that more effort is necessary to ensure that the health and well-being of youths who are socially marginalised is prioritised.”
The findings align with a study published by medical journal Jama Network Open which showed that Canadian transgender and gender-fluid adults are six times more likely to have attempted suicide than their cisgender peers.
Suicide is preventable. Readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org), or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255.
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