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

• Von 78 Personen waren 71 (91 %) weiblich geboren; im Durchschnitt identifizierten sie sich mit 17 erstmals als trans und taten dies etwa 5 Jahre lang.
• Die meisten (83 %) hatten soziale Transitionsschritte und 68 % medizinische Schritte unternommen: 40 % nur Hormone, 23 % Hormone und Operationen und 5 % nur Operationen.
• Im Rückblick erinnerten sich weniger als 17 % an einen Geschlechtsleidensdruck in der Kindheit, der die heutige Diagnose erfüllte, während 53 % das Gefühl hatten, „Rapid-Onset-Geschlechtsdysphorie“ (plötzlich in den Teenagerjahren auftretender Geschlechtsleidensdruck) beschreibe sie.
• Psychische Probleme waren häufig: 79 % hatten sich je selbst verletzt, darunter 71 % vor, 64 % während und 23 % nach der trans Identifikation.
• Der häufigste genannte Grund für die erste trans Identifikation war, psychische Probleme oder Reaktionen auf Trauma mit Geschlechtsleidensdruck zu verwechseln; die Gründe für das Aufhören waren häufiger innerlich als äußerer Druck.
• Von denen, die gegengeschlechtliche Hormone bekamen, hatten 66,7 % das Gefühl, nicht richtig über die Risiken aufgeklärt worden zu sein, und nur eine Person sagte, sie sei über andere Optionen informiert worden.
• Nur 27,1 % aller Teilnehmenden sagten ihrem Transitionsarzt, dass sie eine Detransition gemacht hatten.
• Die Autoren räumen ein, dass ihre Studie nicht zeigen kann, wie häufig Detransition ist oder was sie vorhersagt.

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.