Summary
Using the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, the authors looked at why trans-identified adults said they had ever gone back to living as their birth sex. About 13% of those who had ever transitioned said yes. Most gave outside pressures such as family, harassment or work, while about 16% gave inner reasons such as doubts about their gender. Going back was more common among people born male, nonbinary or bisexual people, and those with unsupportive families. People who had never taken hormones or had surgery were much more likely to report it. The authors conclude that detransition is mostly driven by stigma. However, the survey only included people who still identified as trans, so it cannot describe people who stopped identifying as trans. It describes temporary or pressured detransition among people who remain trans, not detransition in general or regret.
Key findings
- من بين 27,715 شخصاً أجابوا عن الاستطلاع، تحول 17,151 بأي شكل يوماً، وقال 2,242 (13%) منهم إنهم تراجعوا عن التحول يوماً، ولو مؤقتاً.
- ذكر 83% ممن تراجعوا عن التحول سبباً خارجياً واحداً على الأقل، وغالباً ضغط الأسرة والوصمة في المجتمع.
- ذكر 16% سبباً داخلياً واحداً على الأقل، مثل تغير هويتهم الجندرية أو الشعور بعدم التأكد؛ وهذا 2% من جميع من تحولوا.
- كان التراجع عن التحول أشيع لدى من وُلدوا ذكوراً (أعلى بنحو 10 نقاط مئوية) واللا ثنائيين ومزدوجي الميل ومن لديهم أسر غير داعمة.
- كان من تراجعوا عن التحول أقل احتمالاً بكثير لتناول الهرمونات يوماً (أقل بـ 26 نقطة) أو إجراء جراحة (أقل بـ 17 نقطة)، مما يوحي بأن كثيراً من حالات التراجع كانت اجتماعية لا طبية.
- ولأن الاستطلاع شمل فقط من يعرّفون أنفسهم حالياً كمتحولين، فهو لا يستطيع التقاط المتراجعين عن التحول الذين يعرّفون أنفسهم الآن بجنسهم عند الولادة، وهو ما يقر به المؤلفون.
- أظهرت الإجابات المكتوبة (800 شخص) أن «التراجع عن التحول» عنى أشياء كثيرة، منها الظهور لفترة وجيزة بجنس الولادة عند زيارة الأقارب.
Abstract
Purpose: There is a paucity of data regarding transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people who "detransition," or go back to living as their sex assigned at birth. This study examined reasons for past detransition among TGD people in the United States. Methods: A secondary analysis was performed on data from the U.S. Transgender Survey, a cross-sectional nonprobability survey of 27,715 TGD adults in the United States. Participants were asked if they had ever detransitioned and to report driving factors, through multiple-choice options and free-text responses. A mixed-methods approach was used to analyze the data, creating qualitative codes for free-text responses and applying summative content analysis. Results: A total of 17,151 (61.9%) participants reported that they had ever pursued gender affirmation, broadly defined. Of these, 2242 (13.1%) reported a history of detransition. Of those who had detransitioned, 82.5% reported at least one external driving factor. Frequently endorsed external factors included pressure from family and societal stigma. History of detransition was associated with male sex assigned at birth, nonbinary gender identity, bisexual sexual orientation, and having a family unsupportive of one's gender identity. A total of 15.9% of respondents reported at least one internal driving factor, including fluctuations in or uncertainty regarding gender identity. Conclusion: Among TGD adults with a reported history of detransition, the vast majority reported that their detransition was driven by external pressures. Clinicians should be aware of these external pressures, how they may be modified, and the possibility that patients may once again seek gender affirmation in the future.
Conclusion
Among TGD adults with a reported history of detransition, the vast majority reported that their detransition was driven by external pressures. Clinicians should be aware of these external pressures, how they may be modified, and the possibility that patients may once again seek gender affirmation in the future.