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This article needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. Please review the contents of the article and add the appropriate references if you can. Unsourced or poorly sourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Detransition" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2019)

Detransition is the desistance and reversal of a gender transition. As is the case for transition, detransition is a diverse process (not a specific event), and it can involve many personal, social, medical, and legal aspects. Detransition is an emerging and politically controversial phenomenon.

Background and terminology

Gender transition is the process of changing one's gender presentation and/or sex characteristics to accord with one's internal sense of gender identity, namely, whether one is a man or a woman. Transition commonly involves gender reassignment therapy, and may include hormone replacement therapy and sex reassignment surgery to align the body more closely to the male, or female, appearance according to the person's gender identity.

Detransition is the process of reversing gender transition. Like transition, it is a process that can involve changing one's gender expression, social identity, legal IDs, and sexual characteristics. Those who undertake detransition are known as detransitioners. Detransition is commonly associated with transition regret, but regret and detransition do not always coincide. Detransition is closely related to desistance, a term used for the cessation (but not necessarily reversal) of transition.

Frequency and causes

Frequency and population of detransition and detransitioners is uncertain but generally considered to be low. Studies of detransition have been few and politically controversial. They have varied in sample size, durations, methodology, and terminology.

A 30-year Swedish study published in 2011 of 324 post-operative trans patients found the rate of suicidal thoughts following sex-reassignment procedures was "considerably" higher than in a matched non-transsexual control group, and it linked regret as a probable cause.

A 50-year Swedish study published in 2014 of 767 post-operative trans patients found a rate of reversal surgeries at 2.2%. This figure did not include patients who may have felt regret and/or may have chosen non-surgical detransition.

A 2018 survey of WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) surgeons found that approximately 0.3% of patients who underwent transition-related surgery later requested detransition-related surgical care. About a third reported a change in gender identity, while the rest reported being motivated by either surgical complications or social rejection.

In June 2015, WPATH board member and registered therapist Randi Ettner indicated that detransition is more likely to occur during an individual's earlier stages of transition, particularly before surgeries. She described the occurrence as "not uncommon", and she cited social and financial challenges as typical reasons for detransition.

In October 2017, urologist and gender-reassignment surgeon Miroslav Djordjevic reported an increase in demand for reversal surgeries, mostly in those assigned male at birth who were over the age of 30. Djordjevic reported a patient expressing "crippling depression" and suicidality. He asserted the existence of a "taboo" in talking about issues relating to detransitioners' needs, and he said it was perceived as "politically incorrect".

Individuals who have detransitioned have cited discomfort with sexual characteristics developed during transition, concern regarding the lack of data on long-term effects of hormone replacement therapy, concern regarding loss of fertility, and unwanted complications from surgeries.

Outcomes

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (January 2019)

Individual accounts

Since 2011, Walt Heyer has written several books on his experience of regret and detransition. Heyer has been criticized for his association with conservative causes.

In September 2017, the Australian 60 Minutes television program featured a 12-year-old boy who had undergone hormone replacement therapy for two years before deciding to stop. Both he and his mother stated they did not regret transition, nor have they regretted detransition.

Also in September 2017, British daily paper The Guardian published an interview with Elan Anthony of Ohio. Anthony lived as transgender for two decades, including undertaking hormones and surgery, before detransitioning. He has said he experienced a well-intentioned but misguided rush to transition from doctors and allies. He has since pursued advocacy work for detransitioners, as well as a degree in psychology.

In June 2018, The Atlantic released a short film entitled "Reversing a Gender Transition", documenting Ohio-resident Carey Callahan's experiences in transition, regret, and detransition. Callahan identified as trans for four years, including a period of nine months on hormones, before detransitioning. She has since become an advocate for detransitioners: writing, vlogging, and presenting public talks. She has expressed concern for WPATH's Standards of Care (SOC) being too loose, while also supporting individuals' pursuit of informed transition.

Cultural and political impact

Individuals who have detransitioned, and some researchers and medical providers, have voiced concern for a lack of legal, medical, and psychological assistance for those seeking detransition. Doctors add that they perceive an atmosphere of censorship around discussing and researching the phenomenon, while detransitioners express experiences of harassment from activists who view detransition as a political threat.

In August 2017, the Mazzoni Center's Philadelphia Trans Health Conference, which is an annual meeting of transgender people, advocates, and healthcare providers, canceled a panel discussion on detransitioning. The conference organisers said, "When a topic becomes controversial, such as this one has turned on social media, there is a duty to make sure that the debate does not get out of control at the conference itself. After several days of considerations and reviewing feedback, the planning committee voted that the workshops, while valid, cannot be presented at the conference as planned".

In September 2017, Bath Spa University declined permission for James Caspian, a counsellor who specialises in transgender therapy, to undertake research relating to people who decided to reverse gender reassignment operations. Caspian alleged the reason was that it was "a potentially politically incorrect piece of research, carries a risk to the university".

WPATH's Standards of Care have offered no mention of detransition, though a former WPATH president and a majority of WPATH surgeons have expressed desire for detransition guidelines to be included.

See also

• Androgyny
• Civil and political rights
• Feminist views on transgender topics
• Gender dysphoria
• Gender essentialism
• Gender identity
• Gender variance
• Genderqueer
• Healthcare and the LGBT community
• Identity politics
• LGBT rights by country or territory
• LGBT social movements
• Sex and gender distinction
• Transitioning (transgender)

References

1. Brown, M. L. & Rounsley, C. A. (1996) True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism – For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals Jossey-Bass: San Francisco ISBN 0-7879-6702-5
2. ^ Graham, Julie. "Detransition, Retransition: What Providers Need to Know" (PDF). fenwayhealth.org. Fenway Health. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
3. ^ Herzog, Katie (28 June 2017). "The Detransitioners: They Were Transgender, Until They Weren't". The Stranger. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
4. ^ Clark-Flory, Tracy (15 June 2015). "Detransitioning: Going From Male To Female To Male Again". Vocativ. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
5. ^ Singal, Jesse. "When Children Say They're Trans". theatlantic.com. The Atlantic. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
6. ^ Shute, Joe (2 October 2017). "The new taboo: More people regret sex change and want to 'detransition', surgeon says". National Post. Postmedia. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
7. ^ "Bath Spa University 'blocks transgender research'". BBC. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
8. Dhejne, Cecilia; Lichtenstein, Paul; Boman, Marcus; Johansson, Anna L.V.; Långström, Niklas; Landén, Mikael. "Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden". plos.org. PLOS ONE. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
9. dhejne, Cecilia; Oberg, "Katarina"; "Arver", "Stefan"; "Landen", "Mikael". "An Analysis of All Applications for Sex Reassignment Surgery in Sweden, 1960-2010: Prevalence, Incidence, and Regrets". Retrieved 30 January 2019.
10. ^ Danker, Sara, MD; Narayan, Sasha K., BA; Bluebond-Langner, Rachel, MD; Schechter, Loren S., MD, FACS; Berli, Jens U., MD (August 2018). "A Survey Study of Surgeons' Experience with Regret and/or Reversal of Gender-Confirmation Surgeries". Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery – Global Open. 6: 189 – via Wolters Kluwer.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
11. ^ Borreli, Lizette (3 October 2017). "Transgender surgery: regret rates highest in male-to-female reassignment operations". Newsweek. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
12. McFadden, Joan (16 September 2017). "Transition caused more problems than it solved". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
13. "Experience: I regret transitioning". The Guardian. 4 February 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
14. ^ Bowen, Innes (1 August 2007). "Are sex change operations justified?". BBC. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
15. "Books by Walt Heyer". Amazon. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
16. Gunz, Rafaella. "The White House includes article by controversial Walt Heyer in their newsletter". gaystarnews.com. Gay Star News. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
17. Schipp, Debbie (8 September 2017). "Patrick's pain: 'I didn't know who the person staring back at me was'". News Ltd. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
18. Pollock, Nicolas. "'I Wanted to Take My Body Off': Detransitioned". TheAtlantic.com. The Atlantic. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
19. ^ Weale, Sally (26 September 2017). "University 'turned down politically incorrect transgender research'". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
20. Herzog, Katie. "Philly Trans Health Conference Cancels Sessions on Detransitioning". thestranger.com. The Stranger. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
21. "Response to the cancellation of workshops". Mazzoni Center. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
22. "The World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care". wpath.org. WPATH. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
23. Coleman, Eli. "The WPATH Standards of Care: What it really says and looking forward to Version 8" (PDF). Retrieved 1 February 2019.

Further reading

• Herzog, Katie: The Detransitioners: They Were Transgender, Until They Weren't, The Stranger
• Singal, Jesse: When Children Say They’re Trans", The Atlantic
• Stewart, Chuck (16 February 2018). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Americans at Risk: Problems and Solutions [3 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-4408-3236-9. OCLC 1002302935. Retrieved 31 January 2019. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Yarbrough, Eric, M.D. (8 March 2018). "9 Transitions and Detransitions". Transgender Mental Health. Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Pub. ISBN 978-1-61537-113-6. OCLC 1035850780. Retrieved 31 January 2019. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

• Gender transitioning
• Gender studies
• Transgender