Results: How common is transgender treatment regret, detransitioning?

Many states have enacted or contemplated limits or outright bans on transgender medical treatment, with conservative U.S. lawmakers saying they are worried about young people later regretting irreversible body-altering treatment. But just how common is regret? And how many youth change their appearances with hormones or surgery only to later change their minds and detransition? If you read the comments here on the subject (which is mostly people's opinions, of course) regret is very common. However, studies on the subject have proven otherwise. How common do you think regret over transitioning is?

Guidelines call for thorough psychological a*sessments to confirm gender dysphoria -- distress over gender identity that doesn't match a person's assigned sex -- before starting any treatment. That treatment typically begins with puberty-blocking medication to temporarily pause sexual development. The idea is to give those time to mature enough mentally and emotionally to make informed decisions about whether to pursue permanent treatment. Puberty blockers may be used for years and can increase risks for bone density loss, but that reverses when the drugs are stopped. Sex hormones -- estrogen or testosterone -- are offered next. Dutch research suggests that most gender-questioning youth on puberty blockers eventually choose to use these medications, which can produce permanent physical changes. So does transgender surgery, including breast removal or augmentation, which sometimes is offered during the mid-teen years but more typically not until age 18 or later. Were you aware of these steps to transitioning?

In updated treatment guidelines issued last year, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health said evidence of later regret is scant, but that patients should be told about the possibility during psychological counseling. Dutch research from several years ago found no evidence of regret in transgender adults who had comprehensive psychological evaluations in childhood before undergoing puberty blockers and hormone treatment. Some studies suggest that rates of regret have declined over the years as patient selection and treatment methods have improved. In a review of 27 studies involving almost 8,000 teens and adults who had transgender surgeries, mostly in Europe, the U.S and Canada, 1% on average expressed regret. For some, regret was temporary, but a small number went on to have detransitioning or reversal surgeries, the 2021 review said. Are you surprised that regret over transitioning is this uncommon?

Detransitioning means stopping or reversing gender transition, which can include medical treatment or changes in appearance, or both. Detransitioning does not always include regret. The updated transgender treatment guidelines note that some teens who detransition "do not regret initiating treatment" because they felt it helped them better understand their gender-related care needs. And the number of those detransitioning may be slightly more than studies indicated, as some may just stop taking medication or blockers, without going through a doctor. So, facts do indicate that the number of those who stop transitioning is slightly higher than those who regret going through the whole process, but even that is less than 5%. Do you feel the conservative media may be exaggerating the amount of people who either regret or reverse transitioning (since all studies contradict what these media are saying)?