Gender Affirmation–Related Information-Seeking Behaviors in a Diverse Sample of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Young Adults: Survey Study

Abstract

Background Of the 1.6 million transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people in the United States, approximately 700,000 are youth aged 13-24 years. Many factors make it difficult for TGD young people to identify resources for support and information related to gender identity and medical transition. These range from lack of knowledge to concerns about personal safety in the setting of increased antitransgender violence and legislative limitations on transgender rights. Web-based resources may be able to address some of the barriers to finding information and support, but youth may have difficulty finding relevant content or have concerns about the quality and content of information they find on the internet. Objective We aim to understand ways TGD young adults look for web-based information about gender and health. Methods In August 2022, 102 young adults completed a 1-time survey including closed- and open-ended responses. Individuals were recruited through the Prolific platform. Eligibility was restricted to people between the ages of 18-25 years who identified as transgender and were residents of the United States. The initial goal was to recruit 50 White individuals and 50 individuals who identified as Black, indigenous, or people of color. In total, 102 people were eventually enrolled. Results Young adults reported looking on the internet for information about a broad range of topics related to both medical- and social-gender affirmation. Most participants preferred to obtain information via personal stories. Participants expressed a strong preference for obtaining information from other trans people. Conclusions There is a need for accessible, expert-informed information for TGD youth, particularly more information generated for the transgender community by members of the community.