Summary

The Trans Youth Project followed 317 US and Canadian children who had fully socially transitioned (changed name, pronouns and presentation) between ages 3 and 12. About five years later, 94% still identified as trans, 3.5% as nonbinary and 2.5% as their birth sex; 7.3% had changed identity at least once. By the end, about 60% had started puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. The authors concluded that switching back is uncommon. Children in supportive, mostly well-off volunteer families usually kept their new identity. But there was no comparison group of similar children who did not transition, so the study cannot say whether this reflects the children or the transition itself. Zucker and others argue early social transition may itself lock in identity, a question the Cass Review's evidence review treated as unresolved.

Key findings

• 317 дітей (208 трансдівчат, 109 трансхлопців), які повністю пройшли соціальну транзицію, долучилися до дослідження у віці 3–12 років (у середньому 8) між 2013 і 2017 роками.
• Приблизно через 5,4 року після першої транзиції 94% ідентифікували себе як трансхлопців або трансдівчат, 3,5% як небінарних і 2,5% (8 молодих людей) зі своєю статтю при народженні.
• 7,3% змінили ідентичність принаймні раз, зокрема 1,3%, які пізніше повернулися до трансгендерної ідентичності.
• Діти, які пройшли транзицію до 6 років, частіше пізніше ідентифікували себе зі статтю при народженні (5,6% проти 0,5%); більшість цих змін сталася до 10 років.
• До кінця 92 почали блокатори пубертату (ліки, що призупиняють статеве дозрівання) і 98 почали гормони протилежної статі, тобто близько 60% групи були на медичному шляху.
• Сім'ї долучилися в середньому через 1,6 року після транзиції дитини, і 26 сімей (8%) не підтримували зв'язку протягом попередніх двох років.
• Лише 70 було 14 років чи більше під час спостереження, тож більшість результатів було виміряно до або на початку підліткового віку.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Concerns about early childhood social transitions among transgender youth include that these youth may later change their gender identification (ie, retransition), a process that could be distressing. The current study aimed to provide the first estimate of retransitioning and to report the current gender identities of youth an average of 5 years after their initial social transitions. METHODS: The current study examined the rate of retransition and current gender identities of 317 initially transgender youth (208 transgender girls, 109 transgender boys; M = 8.1 years at start of study) participating in a longitudinal study, the Trans Youth Project. Data were reported by youth and their parents through in-person or online visits or via e-mail or phone correspondence. RESULTS: We found that an average of 5 years after their initial social transition, 7.3% of youth had retransitioned at least once. At the end of this period, most youth identified as binary transgender youth (94%), including 1.3% who retransitioned to another identity before returning to their binary transgender identity. A total of 2.5% of youth identified as cisgender and 3.5% as nonbinary. Later cisgender identities were more common among youth whose initial social transition occurred before age 6 years; their retransitions often occurred before age 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that retransitions are infrequent. More commonly, transgender youth who socially transitioned at early ages continued to identify that way. Nonetheless, understanding retransitions is crucial for clinicians and families to help make retransitions as smooth as possible for youth.

Conclusion

These results suggest that retransitions are infrequent. More commonly, transgender youth who socially transitioned at early ages continued to identify that way. Nonetheless, understanding retransitions is crucial for clinicians and families to help make retransitions as smooth as possible for youth. The authors caution against over-interpreting differences from older desistance studies, note that identities 'should not be interpreted as final', and say parents and clinicians should be informed that not all youth will continue on the same trajectory.