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

• 78명 중 71명(91%)이 출생 시 여성이었고, 평균적으로 17세에 처음 트랜스로 정체화해 약 5년 동안 그렇게 지냈습니다.
• 대부분(83%)이 사회적 전환 단계를 밟았고 68%가 의학적 단계를 밟았습니다. 호르몬만 40%, 호르몬과 수술 23%, 수술만 5%였습니다.
• 되돌아보면 오늘날의 진단 기준을 충족하는 어린 시절 성별 불쾌감을 기억하는 사람은 17% 미만이었고, 53%는 ‘급성 발병 성별 불쾌감’(10대에 갑자기 나타나는 성별 고통)이 자신을 설명한다고 느꼈습니다.
• 정신 건강 문제가 흔했습니다. 79%가 자해한 적이 있었고, 트랜스로 정체화하기 전에는 71%, 하는 동안 64%, 이후에는 23%였습니다.
• 처음 트랜스로 정체화한 가장 흔한 이유는 정신 건강 문제나 트라우마에 대한 반응을 성별 고통으로 오인한 것이었고, 중단 이유는 외부 압력보다 내적인 것이 더 많았습니다.
• 반대 성 호르몬을 받은 사람 중 66.7%는 위험에 대해 제대로 듣지 못했다고 느꼈고, 다른 선택지를 들었다고 말한 사람은 한 명뿐이었습니다.
• 전체 참가자의 27.1%만이 전환을 맡은 의사에게 디트랜지션했다고 알렸습니다.
• 저자들은 이 연구가 디트랜지션이 얼마나 흔한지나 무엇이 그것을 예측하는지 보여줄 수 없다고 인정합니다.

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.