The study, titled “The Impact of 2025 Anti-Transgender Legislation on Youth,” looks at laws enacted in 2025 and previously. But nearly 40 percent, or 285,300 teens, live in jurisdictions that have “shield laws” that protect access to gender-affirming care. Eighty-three percent of trans youth in the West and 74 percent of those in the Northeast live in a state with a shield law. Half of trans youth, 362,900, live in one of the 27 states with laws banning access to gender-affirming care. “Research consistently shows that supportive environments for transgender youth are associated with better mental health outcomes,” said coauthor Elana Redfield, federal policy director at the Williams Institute.