In January 2023, Utah banned young people from receiving gender-affirming health care. Approved by Governor Spencer Cox, the ban was billed to be a suspension that could potentially be reversed once further research revealed more information about gender-affirming care’s long term effects, one that claimed to care deeply for children. What ended up happening, though, was that countless transgender youth were affected by the ban’s restrictions, which included gender-affirming surgery and “hormone treatments for minors who have not yet been diagnosed with gender dysphoria,” according to NPR. The ACLU of Utah found it “catastrophic,” saying in a statement that:
“cutting off medical treatment supported by every major medical association in the United States, the bill compromises the health and well-being of adolescents with gender dysphoria. It ties the hands of doctors and parents by restricting access to the only evidence-based treatment available for this serious medical condition and impedes their ability to fulfill their professional obligations."
Despite the obvious detriments to children they claimed to care for, the ban remained. And the next step was actually doing this research.The results of it–some 1,000 pages worth issued by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services–were published this week, more than two years later. The biggest finding was something proponents of gender-affirming health care for transgender youth knew all along: that it saves lives.
The Salt Lake Tribune cites the report’s observation that “‘Overall, there were positive mental health and psychosocial functioning outcomes’ as a result of gender-affirming care.” It’s also noteworthy, as the paper shares, that the report “conflicts with a review issued by the Trump administration.” This review, Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices, cited “behavioral therapy rather than broad gender-affirming medical care” for transgender youth with gender dysphoria, according to the Associated Press.
Counter to this, the Department of Health and Human Services wrote in the report, which can be read online, that “Hormonal transgender treatments are a treatment option intended to mitigate the distress among transgender individuals with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria. When left untreated, individuals with gender dysphoria may experience psychological and social harms.” But the Department also stated that it “does not take a position on whether to lift the moratorium.”
Despite the “overall positivity” of the report as it related to gender-affirming health care, its pages upon pages of research, and the fact that it was commissioned by conservative politicians themselves–the original bill signed banning treatment “require[d] the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a systematic review of the medical evidence regarding hormonal transgender treatments and provide recommendations to the Legislature”--Republicans are choosing to remain unconvinced. Two Republican representatives even referred to the research as “weak evidence,” in the Tribune, adding that “the science isn’t there, the risks are real.”
As the Tribune shares, the report did say there was “‘an increase in some specific types of benign brain tumors,’” but it also showed that transgender youth faced higher incidents of “‘suicide, non-natural causes, and HIV/AIDS’” and that “‘patients that were seen at the gender clinic before the age of 18 had a lower risk of suicide compared to those referred as an adult.’”
Though the original bill stated that those “young people who had already been diagnosed with gender dysphoria before January 2023 were allowed to continue previously prescribed hormone treatments,” the Tribune shared, the moratorium will stand. It may even be some time before it’s formally challenged because some youth are still allowed to receive gender-affirming care under the ban. But the results of the study are there, and they speak for themselves.
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.