Summary

This study surveyed 78 American young adults, mostly born female, who had identified as trans, often taking medical steps, and later stopped. They reported high rates of mental health diagnoses, many from before they first identified as trans. Most said they had first mistaken mental health problems or trauma for gender distress. Their reasons for detransitioning were mostly internal, such as their own changing thinking, rather than pressure from family or discrimination. Most reported much less gender distress and self-harm, and feeling much better about life, after detransitioning. The authors conclude that for some people, detransition is both possible and helpful. But these were volunteers looking back once on their own experience. The study describes this group well, but cannot show how common detransition is, or that detransitioning caused the improvements.

Key findings

• Ze 78 lidí se 71 (91 %) narodilo jako ženy; v průměru se poprvé identifikovali jako trans ve 17 letech a činili tak asi 5 let.
• Většina (83 %) podnikla kroky sociální tranzice a 68 % lékařské kroky: 40 % jen hormony, 23 % hormony a operaci a 5 % jen operaci.
• Při pohledu zpět si méně než 17 % pamatovalo dětskou genderovou tíseň splňující dnešní diagnózu, zatímco 53 % mělo pocit, že je popisuje „genderová dysforie s rychlým nástupem“ (genderová tíseň, která se objeví náhle v dospívání).
• Duševní potíže byly časté: 79 % se někdy sebepoškozovalo, včetně 71 % před, 64 % během a 23 % po identifikaci jako trans.
• Nejčastějším uváděným důvodem první identifikace jako trans byla záměna duševních potíží nebo reakcí na trauma za genderovou tíseň; důvody přerušení byly častěji vnitřní než vnější tlak.
• Z těch, kdo dostali hormony opačného pohlaví, 66,7 % mělo pocit, že nebyli řádně informováni o rizicích, a jen jedna osoba řekla, že byla informována o jiných možnostech.
• Pouze 27,1 % všech účastníků řeklo svému lékaři, který je vedl při tranzici, že prošli detranzicí.
• Autoři přiznávají, že jejich studie nemůže ukázat, jak častá je detranzice ani co ji předpovídá.

Abstract

Persons who have renounced a prior transgender identification, often after some degree of social and medical transition, are increasingly visible. We recruited 78 US individuals ages 18-33 years who previously identified as transgender and had stopped identifying as transgender at least six months prior. On average, participants first identified as transgender at 17.1 years of age and had done so for 5.4 years at the time of their participation. Most (83%) participants had taken several steps toward social transition and 68% had taken at least one medical step. By retrospective reports, fewer than 17% of participants met DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Gender Dysphoria in Childhood. In contrast, 53% of participants believed that "rapid-onset gender dysphoria" applied to them. Participants reported a high rate of psychiatric diagnoses, with many of these prior to trans-identification. Most participants (N = 71, 91%) were natal females. Females (43%) were more likely than males (0%) to be exclusively homosexual. Participants reported that their psychological health had improved dramatically since detransi- tion/desistance, with marked decreases in self-harm and gender dysphoria and marked increases in flourishing. The most common reason given for initial trans-identification was confusing mental health issues or reactions to trauma for gender dysphoria. Reasons for detransition were more likely to reflect internal changes (e.g., the participants' own thought processes) than external pressures (e.g., pressure from family). Results suggest that, for some transgender individuals, detransition is both possible and beneficial.

Conclusion

We surveyed a sample of young adults who previously identified as transgender but had detransitioned or desisted. Most participants were born female. Mental health issues, including prior diagnoses and a history of self-harm, were especially common. A history of gender dysphoria during childhood was reported by a nontrivial minority of participants. A slight majority believed their histories were consistent with rapid-onset gender dysphoria. Factors most associated with detransition were internal factors, reflecting psychological change, rather than external factors, such as family or social pressure. Detransitioned participants reported that they had become much less gender dysphoric, and much happier, than they were during their period of trans-identification.