"Our study demonstrated a climbing prevalence of gender dysphoria especially in those assigned female at birth," Sun told UPI Wednesday. "While further studies are warranted to determine the persistence of the diagnosis, we encourage youth to explore their gender identity with a non-biased stance, the public to be educated on gender diversity, and clinicians to provide timely assessment for children and youth with a concern of gender dysphoria."

Not so fast, responds conservative writer Bethany Mandel, commenting on the study in the New York Post Wednesday. Mandel sums up the study's findings as follows:

• 80% of those were from the U.S.;
• People assigned female at birth seek professional help at about age 11 on average (!), while those assigned male at birth seek help at about age 13;
• In 2017, the average age for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria was 31.49. By 2021, that age had dropped to 26.27;
• Researchers reported a “significantly increased” number of people diagnosed between 2017 and 2021.

Regarding the latter point, Mandel offered a common-sense explanation for the "trans" uptick among youth: "Well why do you suppose that is? Could it be that this is a fad, driven by social media, that tells young people – particularly girls – that transgenderism is cool, far more common that it really is, and changing your gender is a snap?"

Mandel blames "adults, now fancying themselves experts in gender medicine and mental health" for "wreaking havoc on an entire generation, encouraging them to follow their feelings, and follow the crowd, even when they’re at risk of permanent and irreparable harm by doing so."

Sun and her academic team said the difference between gender confusion between girls and boys can be explained because "the time of physical and hormonal change during puberty" is earlier for girls.

Regarding the difference between boys and girls, the study adds: "The reversed gender ratio could be explained by environmental factors. Social movements and media encourage AFABs [girls] to embrace diversity and independence. Minority AFABs [girls] are more likely to want to express their identities. In contrast, AMABs [boys] have been less motivated to express their gender diversity, which may lead to delayed care for AMABs [boys] with GD."

In addition, it states, "Social attitudes at an early age are more favorable for girls with GD to reveal their identity. School-age gender noncongruent AFABs are more likely to be accepted by peers, even categorized as the leader of their class. By comparison, gender non-congruent AMABs are more likely to face bullying and rejection, which suggests effeminate characteristics are less tolerable in AMABs than masculine characteristics in their GD AFAB counterparts."

UPI reporter Denise Mann writes: "Exactly why numbers are rising and people are seeking gender-affirming care at younger ages isn't fully understood."

But Mandel and other critics of trans ideology were not mystified, nor are they buying Sun's admonition about parents being "non-judgmental" toward their child's extreme gender confusion as the main takeaway from the study.

Writes Mandel in her Post column titled, "New study on 'rise' in transgender shows it's a fad, especially among young girls," "Assigned female at birth.' We used to call them girls. ... Unfortunately, researchers spend more time discussing how we can help young people “affirm” their gender – through surgery and drugs – than whether these children will regret these decisions."

"It’s telling that the Virginia Tech study estimated that for every 100,000 people, there are 155 who identify as transgender – with is much, much lower than the 600 out of 100,000 reported in a 2019 study," she writes. "I would posit that it’s even lower than that. There are people who legitimately deal with gender dysphoria, but the 'sharp rise' in the past few years has more to do with a societal fad rather than finding a vast group that was misdiagnosed in the past. ... And the main reason is that we’re relying on the feelings of children, who are not fully mature nor able to rationally decide what they are."

"Gender dysphoria is the medical term for the conflict between the sex one is assigned at birth and the gender with which a person identifies," UPI reports.