Acceptability of Screening for Gender Identity in a National Sample of Parents with Young Children

Abstract

Purpose:

Providing support for transgender and gender nonconforming children's identity before puberty has been shown to improve mental health outcomes. This study aimed to determine the acceptability of population-based screening for gender identity with parents of young children.

Methods:

A national sample of parents with children ages 3–12 completed an online survey about their child's gender and their own feelings about answering such questions. Multivariate linear regression models identified significant predictors of acceptability among parents and children.

Results:

A racially/ethnically and geographically diverse sample of parents (N=2680) completed the survey during August 2022. Most (94.2%) reported their child's gender was consistent with their sex assigned at birth; 2.3% reported their child identified as the opposite gender and 3.4% reported their child was nonbinary. Most parents found the questions to be acceptable; 87.8% indicated they did not find the questions offensive and 87.4% indicated they would be comfortable answering the questions with a pediatrician. A small minority of parents (7%) expressed strong resistance to answering the questions, referencing religious and moral objections, a belief that young children cannot understand and should not be encouraged to think about gender identity, that such questions sexualized children, and that gender was a private issue to be kept within the family.

Conclusion:

Screening for gender identity with parents of young children is largely acceptable and may provide opportunities for normalizing discussions about gender and linking families in need to gender-affirming psychosocial and medical support.