How often do People Regret Transitioning?
It is often quoted that only 1% of transgender individuals regret transition. This misinformation stems from an Associate Press article published in March 2023.
Some studies suggest that rates of regret have declined over the years as patient selection and treatment methods have improved. In a review of 27 studies involving almost 8,000 teens and adults who had transgender surgeries, mostly in Europe, the U.S and Canada, 1% on average expressed regret. For some, regret was temporary, but a small number went on to have detransitioning or reversal surgeries, the 2021 review said.
A much larger study from 2021, published in the journal of LGBT Health came to a different conclusion:
This groundbreaking study analyzed data from the U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS), the largest survey of TGD individuals in the United States to date. The research aimed to understand the reasons for detransition among TGD adults. Through a mixed-methods approach, researchers examined both multiple-choice responses and free-text explanations provided by survey participants.
Key Findings: Of the 27,715 TGD adults surveyed, 61.9% reported pursuing gender affirmation at some point in their lives, with 13.1% of these individuals reporting a history of detransition. Notably, the vast majority of those who detransitioned cited external factors as driving forces, additionally, factors such as being assigned male at birth, identifying as nonbinary, having a bisexual sexual orientation, and experiencing familial unsupportiveness correlated with a higher likelihood of detransition. Internal factors, such as fluctuations in or uncertainty regarding gender identity, were reported by 15.9% of respondents.
The study offers invaluable insights into the complex interplay of internal and external factors shaping detransition experiences among TGD individuals and that detransitioning is more common then is being reported.
References
How common is transgender treatment regret, detransitioning?