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
- از 27,715 نفر که به نظرسنجی پاسخ دادند، 17,151 نفر به هر شکلی گذار کرده بودند، و 2,242 نفر (13%) از این‌ها گفتند تا به حال، حتی موقت، دترنزیشن کرده‌اند.
- 83% از کسانی که دترنزیشن کرده بودند دست‌کم یک دلیل بیرونی ذکر کردند، بیشتر فشار خانواده و انگ در جامعه.
- 16% دست‌کم یک دلیل درونی ذکر کردند، مانند تغییر هویت جنسیتی یا ناطمینانی؛ این 2% از همهٔ کسانی است که گذار کرده بودند.
- دترنزیشن کردن در مردمتولدها (حدود 10 درصد بالاتر)، افراد غیرباینری، افراد بای‌سکشوال و کسانی با خانواده‌های غیرحمایتگر رایج‌تر بود.
- کسانی که دترنزیشن کرده بودند بسیار کمتر هورمون (26 درصد کمتر) یا جراحی (17 درصد کمتر) داشتند، که نشان می‌دهد بسیاری از دترنزیشن‌ها اجتماعی بود نه پزشکی.
- چون نظرسنجی فقط کسانی را شامل شد که اکنون خود را ترنس می‌دانستند، نمی‌تواند دترنزیشنرهایی را که اکنون با جنس تولد خود همذات‌پنداری می‌کنند در بر بگیرد، که نویسندگان می‌پذیرند.
- پاسخ‌های نوشتاری (800 نفر) نشان داد «دترنزیشن» معانی بسیاری داشت، از جمله ظاهر شدن کوتاه‌مدت به‌عنوان جنس تولد هنگام دیدار با بستگان.
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.