How Common is Detransitioning?

Here’s What Detransitioning
Research Says

Detransitioning rates have been increasing these past few years. In fact, a growing online community of detransitioners has also emerged in recent years, indicating how common detransitioning is and the effects of detransitioning among detransitioned women and men.

For instance, in CBS News’s 60 Minutes segment (⁴) that aired last May 2021, newscasters highlighted detransitioners and their stories. It also featured interviews with doctors, clinicians, activists, transgender people, and their families.

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But despite the mainstream media attention, detransitioning remains a poorly understood issue.

Trans activists claim that some recent media coverage of detransitioning exaggerates its prevalence. They claim that false information can have major real-world implications and societal stigma. This creates misunderstandings about the gender transition process.

In this article, you will find out more about how common is detransitioning based on actual research data.

But First, What is Detransitioning?

Detransitioning is reversing one's transgender identity and returning to one's biological gender.

Detransitioning is reversing one’s transgender identity and returning to one’s biological gender.

An example of detransitioning is a female who transitioned to male and then returned to being female. This individual is a detransitioned woman.

Detransitioning research shows there are various reasons why trans people decide to undergo detransitioning. Some of the most common reasons include pressure from society, gender dysphoria, and medical reasons.

While there can be a wide variety of reasons for detransitioning, detransitioners only make up a small fraction of the transgender population, according to detransitioning research.

In fact, figures for the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (1) revealed that 8% of 28,000 respondents went through detransition either temporarily or permanently. The same survey also showed that 11% of female respondents returned to their given sex at birth, making them detransitioned women.

Another detransitioning research conducted in 2021 (2), which involved 237 detransitioners, showed that 70% of them detransitioned because they realized that their gender dysphoria was linked to other concerns. The study also revealed that 50% believed that transitioning did not help them overcome their gender dysphoria.

While looking at these figures, it’s worth noting that the process of gender detransition does not necessarily involve medical intervention. Other types of gender detransition will be further discussed below.

What are the Types of Gender Detransitioning?

According to a 2021 detransitioning research ³, gender detransitioning can be classified as core or primary detransition and non-core or secondary detransition.

Core or Primary Detransitioning

Core or primary detransitioning is prompted by the abandonment of a transgender identity.

This classification might include someone who identified as transgender, transitioned socially or medically, and then went back to identifying with their biological sex.

Primary detransitions occur for a variety of reasons, including:

realizing that transitioning did not help with gender dysphoria
mental health issues
remission of gender dysphoria over time
resolution of past psychological or emotional disorders that led to gender dysphoria
recognizing how previous trauma and psychological difficulties influenced gender dysphoria
coming to terms with one’s sexuality
a shift in one’s political, social, or religious beliefs that caused them to question their transsexual status

Non-Core or Secondary Detransitioning

Non-core or secondary detransitioning occurs due to factors other than the loss of a transgender identity. Anyone who reverses their gender change but still identifies as transgender falls under this common detransitioning group.

Non-core or secondary detransitions can occur for multiple reasons, including:

health issues, such as medical difficulties and the emergence of unfavorable side effects
disappointment or unhappiness with the outcomes of medical therapies (hormonal or surgical)
lack of social support and financial resources
family members or spiritual counselors’ pressure
discrimination and harassment
difficulty finding work
becoming used to the new bodily alterations and becoming uninterested in going any further
having a desire to start a family or undergo fertility preservation operations

What are the Effects of Detransitioning?

There are several effects that detransitioner can experience. Some of them are medical complications, lack of support, and receiving a negative reaction from their peers.

No matter how common is detransitioning, it is undeniable that detransitioners have different needs after the processes they went through.

According to another 2021 detransitioning research (³), here are some of the needs trans people need after going through detransitioning.

Psychological Needs

Among 237 detransitioners, 65% of them have mental health concerns associated with gender dysphoria that they want to address.

Some of their stated psychological needs include:

trauma therapy
learning to deal with guilt and internalized sexism
coping with rejection from the LGBT and trans communities
dealing with the fallout of leaving a manipulative organization

Legal Needs Common in Detransitioning

Forty-five percent of the respondents said they had detransition-related legal needs.

The most common legal need was to return to one’s legal gender/sex marker and/or name.

Thirteen percent of the respondents also expressed the need for legal guidance to pursue medical malpractice claims.

Social Needs Common in Detransitioning

Around 87% of the respondents expressed their need to hear about detransitioning stories.

Getting in touch with fellow detransitioners was expressed by 76% of the respondents. Fifty-seven percent of them also expressed the need to receive support in coming out and dealing with unfavorable reactions.

Medical Needs Common in Detransitioning

Forty-nine percent of the respondents expressed the need for correct information on stopping or changing hormonal therapy.

Receiving support for surgeries or hormonal treatment issues is also a common answer for 40% of the respondents. Around 15% believe that receiving information and having access to reversal surgeries or procedures are needed to deal with all those effects.

Conclusion

Detransition statistics 2022 show that the effects may differ for each individual. Your detransition journey is yours alone, and it doesn’t have to be perfect.

How Common is Detransitioning?
Detransitioners — regardless if they’re a detransitioned woman or man — need support after going through such a process. Unfortunately, the care and support detransitioners are now receiving appear to be inadequate and in need of improvement.

The outright rejection by the transgender community is one of the prevalent experiences they have to deal with. In addition to this, most detransitioners struggle with medical and mental health systems.

Detransitioners need a compassionate, open-minded, and non-judgmental healthcare provider to help them express their needs without the fear of being judged or dismissed. After all, detransitioning is a delicate matter that must be handled with utmost care and sensitivity.

If you are considering detransitioning, schedule a consultation with Dr. Gary Rosenbaum to discuss your detransitioning options.

References:

How common is detransitioning? James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keising, M., Motet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016, December). The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. National Center for Transgender Equality. https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTS-Full-Report-Dec17.pdf
Vandenbussche, E. (2021, April 30). Detransition-Related Needs and Support: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00918369.2021.1919479
Exposito-Campos, P. (2021, January 10). A Typology of Gender Detransition and Its Implications for Healthcare Providers. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2020.1869126
I regret transitioning and so will you
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-transgender-health-care-issues-2021-05-23/