Gender Transition Regret:
Do Transgenders Really Regret Their Decision?
In a world that demands accountability for our lifestyle choices and beliefs, diverging from the usual path becomes a challenge. The same goes for transgender people who experience gender transition regret. They wish they could detransition or return to the gender they were originally assigned.
The regret occurs when a transgender experiences doubt after undergoing gender transition. It doesn’t necessarily mean regret over pushing through gender reassignment surgery.
Transgender people who only had hormone therapy and underwent social and legal changes to their identity also experience this feeling, fueling their desire to detransition.
Learn about regret statistics and causes as you read the rest of this article.
Dr. Gary J. Rosenbaum is a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in breast-related surgeries.
If you’re looking for a doctor who understands your needs and can help you with how to detransition MTF through breast restoration, schedule a consultation here.
How Common Is Gender Transition Regret?
Unfortunately, there is limited research when it comes to transition regret statistics. After all, regret is only one of the many possible reasons transgender people want to detransition.
According to Danker et al. (2021) 1, transitioning regret after getting gender-affirming surgery happens rarely. They asked 46 surgeons to report the number of patients they encountered who expressed regret or sought detransition. The results were as follows:
- 49% of respondents had never met a patient who regretted their gender transition or was seeking detransition care.
- 12 surgeons encountered one patient with regret, while the rest encountered more than one patient.
- 13 patients regretted chest surgery, and 45 patients regretted genital surgery.
The same study found that the most common reason transgender people chose to detransition was a change in gender identity. This was followed by rejection or alienation from family or social support and difficulty in romantic relationships. Another reason was chronic post-operative pain.
Let’s talk about the other reasons why people chose to detransition.
Gender dysphoria happens when a person experiences psychological stress due to the mismatch between their assigned sex at birth and their gender identity. It causes significant distress in a person’s life, whether it be work, school, or relationships.
A 2021 study determined that 70% of the 237 participants 2 experienced this phenomenon.
According to Vandenbussche, the majority of the respondents reported having experienced both body and social gender dysphoria. Half of the sample (50%) later reported deciding to detransition because their transition did not alleviate their gender dysphoria. Others (45%) reported finding alternative ways to deal with their gender dysphoria.
These results highlight the necessity of looking into alternative solutions for treating gender dysphoria to help those who did not find medical or social transition fulfilling.
People also decide to detransition due to societal pressure, whether from family members, friends, or colleagues. They experience transphobia, no support from family and friends, and unbearable sexual harassment in the workplace. These can eventually lead to gender transition regret.
When it comes to workplace inclusivity, organizational leaders and members have a lot of work to do to guarantee a safe working environment for transgender people.
A 2015 survey 3 determined that 77% of employees took active measures to hide their identity in the hopes of avoiding maltreatment at work.
Other transition regret statistics in the workplace are as follows:
- One in six (16%) respondents reported losing a job because of their gender identity or expression.
- 27% reported being fired, denied a promotion, or not being hired for a job they applied for because of their gender identity or expression.
- Fifteen percent (15%) of respondents were verbally harassed, physically attacked, and sexually assaulted at work because of their gender identity or expression.
- Nearly one-quarter (23%) of those who had a job in the past year reported other forms of mistreatment based on their gender identity or expression. Examples include being forced to use a restroom that did not match their gender identity, being told to present in the wrong gender to keep their job, or having a boss or coworker share private information about their transgender status without their permission.
Another reason why transgender people experience post transition regret is because of health concerns. Some individuals stopped using hormonal medications because of lacking research on their effectiveness and medical safety.
Some individuals also stated that some medical professionals do not accurately diagnose gender dysphoria and instead suggest medical transition as a solution.
In addition, there is a medical barrier to the treatment of transgender persons 4 because of a lack of healthcare providers sufficiently trained and knowledgeable in handling gender-sensitive concerns.
Those who experience transitioning regret express discomfort brought by the transition. These can revolve around sexual characteristics, bodily complications, and fertility concerns – or the lack of proper discussion regarding these matters.
According to Vandebussche, the following steps can help fulfill the psychological, medical, legal, and social needs of detransitioners:
- Counseling, especially on matters such as gender dysphoria, comorbid conditions, feelings of regret, social/physical changes, and internalized homophobic or sexist prejudices
- Medical support to address concerns related to stopping/changing hormone therapy, surgery/treatment complications, and access to reversal interventions.
- Provision of spaces to hear about other detransition stories and exchange with each other.
Finding a reliable healthcare partner in this challenging process is integral to your detransition. As much as possible, find a healthcare provider who will listen, understand, and help you throughout the process.
Medical professionals should be open to understanding what detransitioners are experiencing and decrease the transition regret percentage.
If you are looking for a healthcare partner who will listen to your concerns and help you make an informed decision about transitioning or detransitioning, Dr. Gary Rosenbaum is here to help. Schedule a consultation today.
- A Survey Study of Surgeons’ Experience with Regret and/or Reversal of Gender-Confirmation Surgeries. Danker, S., Narayan, S. K., Bluebond-Langner, R., Schechter, L. S., & Berli, J. U. (2018). Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open
- Detransition-Related Needs and Support: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey,
Journal of Homosexuality, Elie Vandenbussche (2021) - The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016).
- Barriers to healthcare for transgender individuals. Current opinion in endocrinology, diabetes, and obesity, 23(2), 168–171. Safer, J. D., Coleman, E., Feldman, J., Garofalo, R., Hembree, W., Radix, A., & Sevelius, J. (2016). https://doi.org/10.1097/MED.0000000000000227
- Doctors Have Failed Them, Say Those with Transgender Regret. Ault, Alicia (2022). https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/970223?uac=149683EN&faf=1&sso=true&impID=4095009&src=mkm_ret_220320_mscpmrk_endo_Mar#vp_3
- What is Transition or Detransition? Boskey, Elizabeth (2021). https://www.verywellhealth.com/detransition-or-retransition-5093126
- Gender Dysphoria: Bioethical Aspects of Medical Treatment. Bizic, M. R., Jeftovic, M., Pusica, S., Stojanovic, B., Duisin, D., Vujovic, S., Rakic, V., & Djordjevic, M. L. (2018). BioMed research international, 2018, 9652305. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9652305