TRANSGENDER REGRET IS RARE
MORE
Sign inShow SearchDONATE
live Minnesota shooting
How common is transgender treatment regret, detransitioning?
By LINDSEY TANNERPublished 7:55 AM CST, March 5, 2023
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?
Here’s a look at some of the issues involved.
WHAT IS TRANSGENDER MEDICAL TREATMENT?
Guidelines call for thorough psychological assessments 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 youngsters 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.
RELATED STORIES
Meet the influential new player on transgender health bills
Here are the restrictions on transgender people that are moving forward in US statehouses
Trans kids’ treatment can start younger, new guidelines say
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.
Reports from doctors and individual U.S. clinics indicate that the number of youth seeking any kind of transgender medical care has increased in recent years.
HOW OFTEN DO TRANSGENDER PEOPLE REGRET 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.
Research suggests that comprehensive psychological counseling before starting treatment, along with family support, can reduce chances for regret and detransitioning.
WHAT IS DETRANSITIONING?
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.
Research and reports from individual doctors and clinics suggest that detransitioning is rare. The few studies that exist have too many limitations or weaknesses to draw firm conclusions, said Dr. Michael Irwig, director of transgender medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
He said it’s difficult to quantify because patients who detransition often see new doctors, not the physicians who prescribed the hormones or performed the surgeries. Some patients may simply stop taking hormones.
“My own personal experience is that it is quite uncommon,” Irwig said. “I’ve taken care of over 350 gender-diverse patients and probably fewer than five have told me that they decided to detransition or changed their minds.”
Recent increases in the number of people seeking transgender medical treatment could lead to more people detransitioning, Irwig noted in a commentary last year in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. That’s partly because of a shortage of mental health specialists, meaning gender-questioning people may not receive adequate counseling, he said.
Dr. Oscar Manrique, a plastic surgeon at the University of Rochester Medical Center, has operated on hundreds of transgender people, most of them adults. He said he’s never had a patient return seeking to detransition.
Some may not be satisfied with their new appearance, but that doesn’t mean they regret the transition, he said. Most, he said, “are very happy with the outcomes surgically and socially.”
___
Follow AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner at @LindseyTanner.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
national medical writer
https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.738.0_en.html#deid=%22%22&eventfe_experiment_ids=%5B%5D&fid=%22goog_978663806%22&genotype_experiment_data=%7B%22experimentStateProto%22%3A%22%5B%5B%5B45713128%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C745150931%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C749060184%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C100%5D%5D%2C%5B841585769%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45722344%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45706017%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45740207%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45668885%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45685340%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45734716%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45735891%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45663239%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45715032%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45661356%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B839547366%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45676441%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45675307%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45675308%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45688859%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45656766%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45710689%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45710688%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C500%5D%5D%2C%5B45747172%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B775241416%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107959%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107958%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107957%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45729602%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45658982%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45725657%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B%5B16%2C%5B%5B1%2C%5B%5B31089630%5D%2C%5B31089631%2C%5B%5B45668885%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B1000%2C%5B%5B95332046%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95332047%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95333808%5D%2C%5B95333809%2C%5B%5B635466687%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95338769%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95338770%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C2%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B50%2C%5B%5B95345206%5D%2C%5B95345207%2C%5B%5B45661356%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B1%2C%5B%5B95351425%5D%2C%5B95351426%2C%5B%5B45676441%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B20%2C%5B%5B95356068%5D%2C%5B95356069%2C%5B%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95356070%2C%5B%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95356071%2C%5B%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C100%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B1%2C%5B%5B95373378%2C%5B%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95373379%2C%5B%5B45747172%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B781107959%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B781107957%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B50%2C%5B%5B95375505%5D%2C%5B95375506%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C749060184%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95375930%5D%2C%5B95375931%2C%5B%5B45734716%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95376520%2C%5B%5B45734716%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45735891%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95378095%5D%2C%5B95378096%2C%5B%5B45740207%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95378629%5D%2C%5B95378630%2C%5B%5B45729602%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1000%2C1%2C1000%5D%5D%22%7D&imalib_experiments=%5B95322027%2C95331589%2C95332046%5D&is_eap_loader=false&managed_js_experiment_id=0&page_correlator=4393148538086366&pvsid=1595976608227669&top_accessible_page_url=%22https%3A%2F%2Fapnews.com%2Farticle%2Ftransgender-treatment-regret-detransition-371e927ec6e7a24cd9c77b5371c6ba2b%22
Blake Lively and Taylor Swift’s texts exposed in lawsuit against Justin BaldoniA trove of Blake Lively’s text messages and emails has been released in her legal battle against Justin Baldoni, including exchanges with her longtime friend Taylor Swift.AP News
Natalie Portman, Seth Rogen, Jenna Ortega arrive for Sundance Film Festival premieresThe Sundance Film Festival features the world premieres of two comedies on Saturday. Olivia Wilde’s “The Invite” debuts at the Eccles Theater in Park City, Utah.AP News
Sleep Apnea? Try This Japanese Trick (It’s Genius!)derilamemoryfoam.com
Only $39 To Get All TV Channels. No Monthly Payments EverBetterLivingHacks
Here’s The Estimated Walk In Shower Price in 2026homebuddy.com
Neuropathy: 1/2 Cup Each Morning Relieves Nerve Pain Quickly! (try it tonight)Neuropathy Research
Why Is This The Most Talked About Bottle Of 2026?FANYIL
Side Sleepers Get Achy Shoulders, Few Know This “Side Sleeper” TrickSleep Digest Publication
12 Dumbest Things Middle-Class Americans Waste Money OnGreensprout
These Side Hustles Are Best For Older Workers Living On Just Social SecurityFinanceBuzz
Who Charges The Least For Car Insurance In Iowa? (Check Zip Codes)OTTO Insurance
Never Do This With an Aging DogDr. Marty
Asphalt Roofs Are Going Extinct Thanks To This New MaterialMetal Roof Nation
Skating body drops rule barring Russian ‘neutral’ athletes from media at OlympicsThe International Skating Union has scrapped a rule which aimed to prevent Russian skaters from speaking with the media or appearing at news conferences when they compete as neutral athletes at the Milan Cortina Olympics.AP News
Toppin 31 points as No. 12 Texas Tech wins 90-86 to end No. 6 Houston’s 11-game win streakJT Toppin had 31 points and 12 rebounds for his 44th career double-double and Donovan Atwell hit consecutive 3-pointers late to put No. 12 Texas Tech ahead to stay in a 90-86 win over No. 6 Houston.AP News
The Food Your Neurologists Said Was Safe Is Now Linked to Dementia. Do You Eat It?Research Institute
Does Lack of Sleep Cause High Blood Sugar Levels?Stelo
Co-Founder of Google Brain, Andrew Ng, Recommends: “These 5 Books Will Turn Your Life Around”Blinkist: Andrew Ng’s Reading List
Review confirms journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s 2005 death was a suicideInvestigators in Colorado say they have confirmed that the 2005 shooting death of journalist Hunter S. Thompson was a suicide.AP News
Family of man crushed by a bulldozer in his tent at an Atlanta homeless encampment sues nonprofitsThe family of a homeless man who died after a bulldozer crushed his tent has filed a second lawsuit against the nonprofits involved in clearing the encampment.AP News
What Late-Night Snacks May Be Doing To Your BodyStelo
The 250th Anniversary Whisky Bottle Breaks All Sales Records in Cedar RapidsFANYIL
You Won’t Believe It’s Not CoffeeMUD\WTR
Most read
- Judge rules US Justice Department filed a lawsuit over Georgia voter data in the wrong city
- Man is shot and killed during Minneapolis immigration crackdown, National Guard activated
- Live updates: A Border Patrol agent shot and killed a man in Minneapolis
- Judge warns Trump administration from changing plaintiffs immigration status in First Amendment case
- Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says his repeated warnings to Europe feel like ‘Groundhog Day’
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.
- From AP News
- The Associated Press
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.