Individuals who underwent treatment for gender dysphoria with medical and/or surgical transition and then transitioned out: A survey of 100 transitioners

Littman, L. Individuals treated for gender dysphoria with medical and/or surgical transition and then released: a survey of 100 released transitioners. Arch Sex Behav (2021) https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02163-w

Explanation

The purpose of this study is to describe a population of individuals who experience gender dysphoria, medically elect to undergo surgical transition, and then terminate the transition by either discontinuing medication, undergoing surgery to reverse the effects of the transition, or both.

Recruitment information, including a link to an anonymous survey, was shared via social media, professional listservs, and snowball sampling.

Of the 100 participants, 69% were birth females and 31.0% were birth males.

Reasons for de-transitioning were varied and included the following

Experiencing discrimination (23.0%)

Becoming more comfortable identifying as the birth sex (60.0%)

Have concerns about potential complications with transition (49.0%)

Gender dysphoria is a trauma, abuse, or mental health condition (38.0%)

Homophobia or difficulty accepting themselves as lesbian, gay, or bisexual was represented by 23.0% as a reason for transition and subsequent non-transition.

The majority (55.0%) felt that they had not been properly assessed by a physician or mental health professional prior to beginning their transition, and only 24.0% of respondents notified their clinician that they had terminated their transition.

There are a variety of reasons and experiences that lead to de-transitioning, and more research is needed to understand this population, determine the prevalence of non-transitioning as a result of transitioning, meet the medical and psychological needs of this population, and better inform the process of pre-transition evaluation and counseling.