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
- מבין 27,715 שענו על הסקר, 17,151 עברו אי פעם מעבר מכל סוג, ו-2,242 (13%) מהם אמרו שעברו אי פעם דטרנזישן, אפילו באופן זמני.
- 83% מאלה שעברו דטרנזישן נתנו לפחות סיבה חיצונית אחת, לרוב לחץ מהמשפחה וסטיגמה בחברה.
- 16% נתנו לפחות סיבה פנימית אחת, כמו שינוי בזהות המגדרית או תחושת אי-ודאות; זה 2% מכל מי שעברו מעבר.
- דטרנזישן היה שכיח יותר בקרב אנשים שנולדו זכרים (גבוה בכ-10 נקודות אחוז), אנשים א-בינאריים, ביסקסואלים ובעלי משפחות לא תומכות.
- מי שעברו דטרנזישן היו בסבירות נמוכה בהרבה לקחת אי פעם הורמונים (נמוך ב-26 נקודות) או לעבור ניתוח (נמוך ב-17 נקודות), מה שמרמז שדטרנזישנים רבים היו חברתיים ולא רפואיים.
- מפני שהסקר כלל רק אנשים שכיום מזדהים כטרנס, הוא אינו יכול ללכוד מי שעברו דטרנזישן וכעת מזדהים עם מין הלידה שלהם, כפי שהמחברים מודים.
- תשובות כתובות (800 אנשים) הראו ש'דטרנזישן' פירושו דברים רבים, כולל הופעה קצרה כמין הלידה בעת ביקור אצל קרובים.
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.