{"id":39441,"date":"2022-07-14T07:01:57","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T05:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/?p=39441"},"modified":"2022-09-29T08:32:46","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T06:32:46","slug":"why-do-people-detransition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/why-do-people-detransition\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Some Trans People Decide to De-Transition?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve decided to read this article, the chances that you know what the term \u2018transgender\u2019 is, are high. But just for good measure:<\/span><\/p>\n

Transgender<\/span> is a general term that describes people whose gender identity (sense of themselves), or their internal sense of being male, female, or something else, does not match the sex they were assigned at birth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To de-transition means that one has already transitioned but then returns to live as their gender assigned to their birth sex.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Conversely, <\/span>cisgender<\/span><\/a> is a term used to describe those whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.<\/span><\/p>\n

And while a <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> shows that, on average, around 97% of those who have transitioned are happy, there is a small percentage of those who de-transition for a number of reasons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Trans People Who De-Transition<\/span><\/h1>\n

In the aforementioned study, 3% of trans individuals felt feelings of regret or dissatisfaction after transitioning. Interestingly, of that 3%, 90% of these negative feelings around transitioning had to do with pressure from family, school, work, or society in general.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Things such as not receiving support at home, or experiencing harassment or discrimination at their workplace or in society had a huge impact on those who decided to detransition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The other 10% revealed that they de-transitioned because they wanted to explore different gender identities, had unrelated health issues, or they experienced financial difficulties. And, of the total of participants, 0.4% decided that transitioning was not right for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll take a closer look at why some trans individuals choose to detransition in a moment, but firstly, let\u2019s take a look at gender dysphoria.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Gender Dysphoria?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Gender dysphoria<\/span><\/a> is when someone feels a sense of unease because their gender identity and their biological sex does not align.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Experiencing gender dysphoria can be extremely harmful, stirring up feelings of <\/span>depression<\/span><\/a> and anxiety, leading to a harmful impact on one\u2019s daily life.<\/span><\/p>\n

In traditional research, there are two types of gender dysphoria; early-onset gender dysphoria and late-onset gender dysphoria.<\/span><\/p>\n

Early-Onset Gender Dysphoria<\/span><\/h3>\n

Early-onset gender dysphoria typically manifests in early childhood. It is when a child shows a strong interest in things such as clothing, toys, and behaviours that have been marketed and socially \u2018acceptable\u2019 for the opposite sex.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It could also manifest in a child forming friendships predominantly or solely with those of the opposite sex, while other young children have same-sex friendships.<\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>2020 study<\/span><\/a> by researcher, urologist, and director of the <\/span>Cedars-Sinai Transgender Surgery and Health Programme<\/span><\/i>, Maurice Garcia, MD, found that most early-onset gender dysphoria occurs around the age of seven.<\/span><\/p>\n

Late-Onset Gender Dysphoria<\/span><\/h3>\n

Late-onset gender dysphoria occurs at <\/span>puberty<\/span> or later, but does not particularly mean that one had not had any inclinations towards gender dysphoria prior to this time. For example, a child may have resisted the urge of gender nonconformity until adolescence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Interestingly, almost all cases of late-onset gender dysphoria involved those who were assigned male at birth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, there\u2019s also something called \u201crapid-onset gender dysphoria\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Rapid-onset gender dysphoria is when one suddenly feels discomfort with their assigned <\/span>gender<\/span> and sex.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This kind of gender dysphoria is actually more common than one might think. In fact, a <\/span>2019 study<\/span><\/a> conducted on parents showed that about 80%of their children (with a mean age of around 15 to 17) had announced their transgender identity \u201cout of the blue\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sadly, rapid-onset gender dysphoria was linked to <\/span>mental health<\/span><\/a> issues, as well as a worsening of relationships between parent and child. It was also linked to more isolation, and a distrust of non-transgender resources.<\/span><\/p>\n

Specific Reasons Why Some Trans People Want to De-Transition<\/span><\/h2>\n

Going back to why some trans people decided to de-transition, a comprehensive <\/span>facts and statistics resource was published in 2022<\/span><\/a>. It looked at over 27,000 people and the reason why they decided to de-transition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n