Summary

The Trans Youth Project followed 317 US and Canadian children who had fully socially transitioned (changed name, pronouns and presentation) between ages 3 and 12. About five years later, 94% still identified as trans, 3.5% as nonbinary and 2.5% as their birth sex; 7.3% had changed identity at least once. By the end, about 60% had started puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. The authors concluded that switching back is uncommon. Children in supportive, mostly well-off volunteer families usually kept their new identity. But there was no comparison group of similar children who did not transition, so the study cannot say whether this reflects the children or the transition itself. Zucker and others argue early social transition may itself lock in identity, a question the Cass Review's evidence review treated as unresolved.

Key findings

• انضم 317 طفلاً (208 فتيات متحولات و109 أولاد متحولين) تحولوا اجتماعياً بالكامل إلى الدراسة بين عمر 3 و12 (المتوسط 8) بين 2013 و2017.
• بعد نحو 5.4 سنوات من أول تحول، عرّف 94% أنفسهم كأولاد أو بنات متحولين، و3.5% كلا ثنائيين، و2.5% (8 شباب) بجنسهم عند الولادة.
• بدّل 7.3% هويتهم مرة واحدة على الأقل، منهم 1.3% عادوا لاحقاً إلى هوية متحولة.
• كان الأطفال الذين تحولوا قبل سن 6 أرجح لأن يعرّفوا أنفسهم لاحقاً بجنسهم عند الولادة (5.6% مقابل 0.5%)؛ وحدث معظم هذه التغيرات قبل سن 10.
• بحلول النهاية، كان 92 قد بدؤوا حاصرات البلوغ (أدوية توقف البلوغ مؤقتاً) و98 الهرمونات المغايرة، أي نحو 60% من المجموعة على مسار طبي.
• انضمت الأسر بعد 1.6 سنة في المتوسط من تحول الطفل، ولم تكن 26 أسرة (8%) على اتصال في السنتين السابقتين.
• كان 70 فقط بعمر 14 أو أكثر عند المتابعة، لذا قيست معظم النتائج قبل المراهقة أو في بدايتها.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Concerns about early childhood social transitions among transgender youth include that these youth may later change their gender identification (ie, retransition), a process that could be distressing. The current study aimed to provide the first estimate of retransitioning and to report the current gender identities of youth an average of 5 years after their initial social transitions. METHODS: The current study examined the rate of retransition and current gender identities of 317 initially transgender youth (208 transgender girls, 109 transgender boys; M = 8.1 years at start of study) participating in a longitudinal study, the Trans Youth Project. Data were reported by youth and their parents through in-person or online visits or via e-mail or phone correspondence. RESULTS: We found that an average of 5 years after their initial social transition, 7.3% of youth had retransitioned at least once. At the end of this period, most youth identified as binary transgender youth (94%), including 1.3% who retransitioned to another identity before returning to their binary transgender identity. A total of 2.5% of youth identified as cisgender and 3.5% as nonbinary. Later cisgender identities were more common among youth whose initial social transition occurred before age 6 years; their retransitions often occurred before age 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that retransitions are infrequent. More commonly, transgender youth who socially transitioned at early ages continued to identify that way. Nonetheless, understanding retransitions is crucial for clinicians and families to help make retransitions as smooth as possible for youth.

Conclusion

These results suggest that retransitions are infrequent. More commonly, transgender youth who socially transitioned at early ages continued to identify that way. Nonetheless, understanding retransitions is crucial for clinicians and families to help make retransitions as smooth as possible for youth. The authors caution against over-interpreting differences from older desistance studies, note that identities 'should not be interpreted as final', and say parents and clinicians should be informed that not all youth will continue on the same trajectory.