“Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria” is described as occurring mostly in girls in their teens and early 20s who come out as transgender “out of the blue” without any childhood history of experiencing discomfort with their natal sex. Dr. Michael Bailey, Ph.D., psychologist and professor at Northwestern University, says, “We think this is an entirely distinct phenomenon from childhood-onset gender dysphoria. Indeed, we think it didn’t exist until recently. It is a socially contagious phenomenon, reminiscent of the multiple personality disorder epidemic of the 1990s.”

“Rapid-onset gender dysphoria in adolescents and young adults: A study of parental reports,” is the scientific article that seems to have promoted the spread of the term Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria. It was just published in its entirety on August 16, 2018 on PLOS One’s (Public Library of Science) online journal, the world’s first multidisciplinary open access journal, which accepts scientifically-rigorous research from a variety of subject areas and provides thorough peer review of all published works.

The study’s stated purpose:

“In on-line forums, parents have been reporting that their children are experiencing what is described here as “rapid-onset gender dysphoria,” appearing for the first time during puberty or even after its completion. The onset of gender dysphoria seemed to occur in the context of belonging to a peer group where one, multiple, or even all of the friends have become gender dysphoric and transgender-identified during the same timeframe. Parents also report that their children exhibited an increase in social media/internet use prior to disclosure of a transgender identity. The purpose of this study was to document and explore these observations and describe the resulting presentation of gender dysphoria, which is inconsistent with existing research literature.”

The precursor to the article was a two-page abstract published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, February 2017. It was to this abstract that numerous opponents voiced objections.

“‘Rapid onset gender dysphoria’: What a hoax diagnosis looks like” 2-1-18 genderanalysis.net.

“Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria’ Is Biased Junk Science” 2-20-18 advocate.com

“Rapid onset gender dysphoria and other myths” 3-11-18 transadvocate.com

“Why ‘rapid-onset gender dysphoria’ is bad science” 3-22-18 theconversation.com

The articles are posted on sites that focus on issues of gender and sexuality and tend to be one-sided in their views. They attack the concept of ROGD and anyone who is a proponent as: out of touch with current science, using bad research methods, having a hidden agenda, and transphobic. None of the authors, as far as I can tell, have any scientific qualifications or expertise on the subject, besides their own personal stories and investment in the issue. That does not mean they should not speak their minds, just like the parents of ROGD kids or those questioning the trans narrative should be encouraged to give voice to their experience and opinions.

The following response is part of a reader comment on “Misunderstanding a New Kind of Gender Dysphoria,” by Lisa Marchiano, psychotherapist and Certified Jungian Analyst:

“Women and girls on the autism spectrum in particular can feel and seem atypical in their gender presentation, identifying more in their patterns of thought with male rather than female persons. Now that too many in our society seem to be identifying gender in accordance with secondary sex characteristics and cultural stereotypes, it’s easy to see how a young woman who has no interest or patience for make up and complicated hairdos, who hates frilly clothes (too uncomfortable for those who are ‘sensory’), and who has a blunt communication style can come to wonder if she is ‘really’ female or ‘actually’ male instead, especially as adolescence brings on an increase in gender differences.”

“Transgenderism and the Social Construction of Diagnosis,” another piece by Marchiano published on Quillette.com in March, 2018, addresses many of the complaints of the above authors.

“Activists and certain clinicians who are sympathetic to the activist movement appear to feel threatened by the idea of rapid onset gender dysphoria because the suggestion that dysphoria might be influenced by social or cultural factors undermines the notions of innateness. If dysphoria isn’t innate, justifying medical intervention becomes more complicated.

In fact, it must be true that there are cultural and social factors at work in gender dysphoria. If a social act such as donning a certain article of clothing or being called by a different name can alleviate a child’s distress, then how can the problem that caused that distress possibly be entirely biological?”

The issue is complex. There are real levels of dysphoria to address. There are also real complications with inaccurate, incomplete, biased, and skewed information being consumed by us all. We should be skeptical of easy answers, no matter who is promoting them. My experience suggests that social contagion played a factor in both of my twins’ identification. If I could unweave that piece of the tapestry and get to the heart of the dysphoria, I would be much more in support of any intervention that would mitigate their discomfort and pain and enable them to traverse life with confidence in being completely who they are meant to be.