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
- Anketi yanıtlayan 27.715 kişiden 17.151'i herhangi bir şekilde hiç geçiş yapmıştı ve bunların 2.242'si (%13) geçici olarak bile olsa hiç detransisyon yaptığını söyledi.
- Detransisyon yapanların %83'ü en az bir dış neden gösterdi; çoğunlukla aileden gelen baskı ve toplumdaki damgalanma.
- %16'sı cinsiyet kimliğinin değişmesi veya emin olmama gibi en az bir iç neden gösterdi; bu, geçiş yapmış herkesin %2'sidir.
- Detransisyon yapmış olmak erkek doğumlu kişilerde (yaklaşık 10 yüzde puan daha yüksek), non-binary kişilerde, biseksüel kişilerde ve destekleyici olmayan ailesi olanlarda daha yaygındı.
- Detransisyon yapanların hiç hormon kullanmış olma (26 puan daha düşük) veya ameliyat olma (17 puan daha düşük) olasılığı çok daha düşüktü; bu, birçok detransisyonun tıbbi değil sosyal olduğunu düşündürüyor.
- Anket yalnızca şu anda trans olarak tanımlananları içerdiği için, artık doğum cinsiyetiyle tanımlanan detransisyoncuları yakalayamıyor; yazarlar bunu kabul ediyor.
- Yazılı yanıtlar (800 kişi), 'detransisyon'un akrabaları ziyaret ederken kısa süreliğine doğum cinsiyeti olarak görünmek dahil birçok şey anlamına geldiğini gösterdi.
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.