Lauren Dempsey, MS in Biomedicine and Law, RN, FISM News 

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Researchers at the University of Washington, as well as Seattle Children’s Hospital (SCH), reportedly manipulated and misrepresented data from a study that has been widely used to support transgender treatment in youths since early this year.

Leaked emails now show that when one journalist finally pointed out the discrepancies, university and hospital employees conspired to cover it up.

A University of Washington study published in late February describing the assumed benefits of treating trans-identified youth, aged 13 to 20, with puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones, was widely promoted by mainstream media outlets. The study was seen as a confirmation of the agenda and rhetoric that liberal health experts, politicians, and media pundits were pushing about the importance of providing gender-affirming treatment to children.

However, it now appears the goal of the research was not to discover the facts but to confirm the researchers’ previously held belief that providing hormonal therapy to children has a direct, positive impact on mental health.

Researchers from the university as well as Seattle Children’s Hospital reported that at baseline many of the children involved in the trial experienced anxiety and depression as well as suicidal thoughts prior to treatment. After receiving the drugs, the researchers claimed that puberty blockers and gender-affirming hormones were “associated with 60% lower odds of moderate to severe depressive symptoms and 73% lower odds of self-harm or suicidal thoughts during the first year of multidisciplinary gender care.”

Co-author of the study and Ph.D. candidate Diana Tordoff said in an interview with Science Friday in March of this year that these results show that these treatments are safe “and their use in adolescents is supported by a large number of medical and professional societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.”

The researchers went so far as to declare that the study confirmed that hormonal therapy for gender dysphoria is “lifesaving.” It now appears they did so while knowing that the real data contradicted their claims.

When facts came to light, UW and SCH chose a silent cover-up

Journalist Jesse Singal reported in April that the authors of the study misrepresented the results and heavily edited the data. Singal’s look at the numbers showed that there was no significant improvement in mental health after youth in the study received the medications.

Singal wrote,

At baseline, 45% of the treatment-naive kids experienced self-harm or suicidal thoughts. Twelve months later, 37% of the kids on GAM did. These are not meaningful differences: The kids in the study arrived with what appear to be alarmingly high rates of mental health problems, many of them went on blockers or hormones, and they exited the study with what appear to be alarmingly high rates of mental health problems.

Singal reached out to Tordoff for the raw data, but was met with “radio silence” and the data was not provided. After multiple attempts, Singal was contacted by a public relations representative, who said the team “decided to let the methods section speak for itself.”

Although Singal publicly questioned the results of the study and the methods that the researchers used to reach their final conclusion, the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s hospital remained silent about the clear issues, likely due to the overwhelmingly positive media coverage.

Jason Rantz, a conservative talk show host and analyst from Seattle, reported that according to leaked emails, the university and the hospital were aware of the allegations, but didn’t want to acknowledge the claims made by Singal.

Rantz suggests that the researchers wanted data to support gender-affirming care, therefore they manipulated the data to fit their conclusion and would give experts and politicians evidence to fight “anti-transgender” legislation. This type of “science” isn’t science at all, Rantz pointed out, and could give patients false hope in a treatment that is not effective.

According to the leaked emails, Laura East, Department of Epidemiology spokesperson, emailed colleagues at both institutions saying that she would not promote the study internally, however,

As there is an overwhelming amount of positive coverage of the study’s findings, I don’t believe there’s a need for a proactive response beyond continuing to monitor, but welcome your ideas for any other actions or messaging with the study team.

UW Medicine Communications Manager Barbara Clements agreed to “just let this be,” adding in a second email that “we won’t be promoting or responding as well.” Madison Joseph, a communications specialist at Seattle Children’s Hospital confirmed that the hospital would “continue to not engage” if there were any “inquiries on social and/or through our press inbox.”

In April, the university quietly updated its original press release to “more directly reflect the findings as reported in the study.” Up to this point, no effort has been made to correct the false reports that had already been published in the media or to acknowledge that the data had been “misinterpreted.”