Researchers analyzed health records for individuals in Norway born between 1975 and 2017 who lived there between 2008 and 2022. The study focused on people with gender incongruence who used androgens, estrogens, or puberty blockers. The goal was to see how common these treatments became and whether diagnoses related to gastrointestinal issues changed over time.
The main finding was that the number of people using feminizing or masculinizing hormones went up after 2015. Use of puberty blockers also increased, particularly among teens assigned male at birth in recent years. While the overall numbers for puberty blockers remained mostly low, the trend of increased use is clear.
The study also looked at gastrointestinal diagnoses and found an increase among youth in Norway, especially since 2015. It is important to note that this study is a review of existing records and does not show that the hormones or blockers caused these diagnoses. Readers should understand that this report describes trends in treatment use and related diagnoses without establishing a direct cause-and-effect link.
Because this is a large observational study, it can show associations but cannot prove why these changes happened. The increase in treatment use reflects growing access or acceptance, but the link to gastrointestinal diagnoses remains uncertain. This information helps doctors and patients understand current patterns but does not change immediate medical advice.