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
- Dari 27.715 orang yang menjawab survei, 17.151 pernah bertransisi dengan cara apa pun, dan 2.242 (13%) di antaranya mengatakan pernah berhenti transisi, bahkan sementara.
- Sebanyak 83% dari mereka yang berhenti transisi memberikan setidaknya satu alasan dari luar, paling sering tekanan dari keluarga dan stigma di masyarakat.
- Sebanyak 16% memberikan setidaknya satu alasan dari dalam, seperti identitas gender mereka berubah atau merasa tidak yakin; ini adalah 2% dari semua orang yang pernah bertransisi.
- Berhenti transisi lebih umum di antara orang terlahir laki-laki (sekitar 10 poin persentase lebih tinggi), orang non-biner, orang biseksual, dan mereka yang keluarganya tidak mendukung.
- Mereka yang berhenti transisi jauh lebih kecil kemungkinannya pernah memakai hormon (26 poin lebih rendah) atau menjalani operasi (17 poin lebih rendah), yang menunjukkan banyak berhenti transisi bersifat sosial, bukan medis.
- Karena survei hanya menyertakan orang yang saat ini mengidentifikasi diri sebagai trans, survei tidak dapat menangkap orang yang berhenti transisi dan kini mengidentifikasi diri dengan jenis kelamin lahir mereka, yang diakui para penulis.
- Jawaban tertulis (800 orang) menunjukkan 'berhenti transisi' berarti banyak hal, termasuk sebentar tampil sebagai jenis kelamin lahir saat mengunjungi kerabat.
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.