Traiettorie di genere di giovani che hanno interrotto la transizione

Un'analisi retrospettiva delle traiettorie di genere dei giovani che hanno interrotto una transizione

Interviste e ricerca qualitativa Detransizione e rimpianto

Authors: Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, Élio Gravel, Morgane Gelly, Tommly Planchat, August Paradis, Denise Medico
Journal: International Journal of Transgender Health
Year: 2023
Source: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/26895269.2023.2279272

Summary

Canadian researchers interviewed 20 young people aged 16 to 25, nearly all born female, from seven countries. All had started and then stopped a gender transition, and were asked about the whole journey. How they saw their gender changed over time, and rarely settled into a simple return to their birth sex. Same-sex attraction, sometimes with shame about being gay, was part of why many had transitioned. Body discomfort often eased during transition. Afterwards it could ease, come back, or turn into distress about permanent changes such as a deeper voice. The authors conclude that paths are too varied to predict how things will turn out. They say care should look at the whole of life, including sexuality and possible loss. This is early, exploratory work. The group was small and volunteered, accounts look back in time, and the analysis openly comes from a gender-affirming viewpoint.

Key findings

Nel 2020 sono state intervistate venti persone tra 16 e 25 anni provenienti da Canada, Stati Uniti, Francia, Belgio, Indonesia, Scozia e Finlandia; 19 su 20 erano nate femmine.
Tutte avevano fatto la transizione sociale; 13 anche quella medica (12 hanno assunto ormoni, 8 hanno subito almeno un intervento chirurgico, 2 hanno assunto bloccanti della pubertà), ma solo 3 dei 13 hanno iniziato la transizione medica prima dei 18 anni.
Dopo aver smesso, le identità di genere variavano: alcune hanno accolto di nuovo il proprio sesso di nascita, altre si sono definite non binarie o fluide o non hanno usato etichette, e alcune hanno mantenuto il nome o i pronomi della transizione.
Più della metà di chi ha parlato di sessualità provava attrazione per il proprio stesso sesso prima della transizione, e diverse hanno collegato la propria transizione alla vergogna per l'essere gay.
La maggior parte si sentiva meglio nel proprio corpo durante la transizione, ma alcune hanno trovato che i cambiamenti non bastassero, hanno avuto complicazioni o si sono sentite spinte a passare al «passo» successivo.
Dopo aver smesso, sono state descritte tre esperienze corporee: sentirsi abbastanza a proprio agio, ritorno del disagio originario o nuovo disagio per cambiamenti permanenti come la voce o i peli sul viso.
Gli autori non hanno trovato caratteristiche comuni che permettano di prevedere chi smetterà, e raccomandano che il consenso informato comprenda sessualità, possibili perdite e sfide future nell'arco della vita di una persona.

Abstract

Background: Detransition is frequently covered in the media as a return to a cis identity after transition. Detransition is often studied in isolation and fails to examine it in context of various stages leading to detransition. Aim: To present the perspectives and reflections of youth who have detransitioned on their journey from early transition to discontinuation, focusing on three key dimensions: gender modalities, sexual modalities, and dysphoria experiences, and their evolution during this journey. Method: We drew from 20 in-depth interviews with young people aged 16 to 25 who have discontinued a transition and examined various stages of the gender journey from early transition to detransition. Youth narratives were analyzed thematically and longitudinally. Results: We developed three main themes related to the gender journey: nonlinear gender modalities, navigating sexual modalities along with gender modalities, and coping with dysphoria and body discomfort. We found a great diversity of experiences with regard to these within each participant and across the sample. Discussion: Transition and detransition trajectories are nonlinear and heterogeneous, without any identified commonalities that enable the prediction of outcomes after transitions. However, transnormativity may influence how people who detransition are expected to conform to a certain narrative despite the diversity of experiences present in this community.

Conclusion

Youth who discontinue a transition undergo diverse gender journeys and changes across gender modalities, sexual modalities and experiences of dysphoria. Transition and detransition trajectories are nonlinear and heterogeneous, with no identified commonalities that allow outcomes after transition to be predicted, and transnormativity may push people who detransition to fit an expected narrative. Future research should examine these experiences prospectively, for example by following youth from the moment they question their transition and examining how heteronormativity and transnormativity affect decisions to transition or detransition. Providers should look critically at media narratives, take a life-course approach that offers support beyond transition care, help youth understand how transition may affect their gender and sexual modalities, and discuss possible ambiguous loss, in order to strengthen informed consent and support youth whatever direction their gender journey takes.

Methodological limitations

Very small group: 20 interviews cannot show how common any experience is among detransitioners. The paper describes themes, not how often they occur.
Almost all female: 19 of 20 were born female, so the results say little about male detransitioners. The authors admit this.
Volunteers found online: People answered adverts in social media groups for trans and non-binary youth and in detransition support groups, or were referred by others, and got a $30 gift card. People with certain stories may be over-represented.
Broad, self-defined entry: Anyone who said they had 'begun and then discontinued' a social, legal or medical transition could join. 7 of 20 had only socially transitioned, which mixes very different experiences.
Few treated as children: Only 3 of the 13 who medically transitioned started before 18. So the study says little about medical transition in children, despite its focus on 'youth'.
Looking back: Experiences from first questioning to stopping were pieced together at one interview. Memory and current views may shape them, as the authors note.
One interview, no follow-up: Interviews took place in late 2020 with no later check-in. The authors note some people may later transition again.
Mixed countries: People came from seven countries with very different health systems, and were interviewed in English or French. So nothing can be concluded about any one country's services.
Researchers' viewpoint: The team says its analysis comes from an 'anti-oppressive, fluid, and gender-affirming perspective', and the project partnered with Gender Creative Kids, a support group for trans youth. This may shape how themes such as 'transnormativity' (pressure to follow an expected trans story) were drawn out.
Not every topic covered by everyone: Not every interview touched on every theme. So phrases like 'more than half' refer only to those who talked about that topic.

detrans.ai

Summary

Key findings

Abstract

Conclusion