Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMeaningCurrent StatisticsDesistance vs. RetransitionWhat to Expect

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Meaning

Current Statistics

Desistance vs. Retransition

What to Expect

People are said to retransition (or detransition) if they affirm acisgenderidentity after previously affirming atransgenderone. Some people retransition on a temporary basis, while others do so permanently. As withtransitioning, retransitioning is a process and not an event.

Although gender identity can evolve to some degree throughout a person’s life, retransitioning is relatively uncommon—particularly for those who have undergonemedicalorsurgicalgender affirmation.

This article explains what retransition means and what it involves. It also looks at the current statistics about gender retransitioning and what a person who retransitions might expect.

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Rear view of a mother and daughter walking along a railway track in autumn, Goldstream, Vancouver Island, Canada

Meaning of Retransition

Despite the limited body of research on the subject, retransitioning is thought to be pursued for a number of reasons, including:

The terms “retransition” and “detransition” are sometimes used simultaneously but, to some activists, detransition has decidedly negative connotations. Unlike “re-” which suggests that something is being done again, “de-” suggests that something is being undone.

As subtle as the differences may seem, anti-trans campaigners will frequently use the words “detransition” and “transition regret” simultaneously to validate their political beliefs.

Retransition Statistics

The current statistics describing the frequency and causes of gender retransitioning are limited and often politically controversial. Many of the studies are of poor quality, either because their numbers are too small to be statistically relevant or because they rely solely on a specific type of respondent (such as those actively seeking reversal procedures).

Of those that are regarded as objectively sound, there remains some variation as to how common or uncommon retransitioning is among transgender adults in the United States.

According to the researchers, of the 17,151 respondents who pursued gender affirmation, 2,242 (13.1%) stated that they had retransitioned.

In total, one of every three respondents stated that it was “just too hard for me.”

Controversy Surrounding Desistance

As with gender dysphoria, which often starts in childhood, desistance more often applies to children who come to identify as cisgender after a period of gender curiosity orgender nonconformity.It is not a term that generally applies to people who transition or retransition. Moreover, not everyone who considers transitions experiences gender dysphoria.

For its part, the American Psychiatric Association decries desistance research, stating that they do not provide clear evidence of harm to children who seek to socially or medically transition, much less adults.

What Can I Expect in Retransitioning?

Individuals who retransition may not require any health care. Those who have socially transitioned, may simply socially transition again.

Even some individuals who have medically or surgically transitioned may not seek out additional interventions to affirm their new gender identity. They may just socially transition into a new role and/or stop using any ongoing gender-affirming hormone treatments.

Transfeminine individuals who have not had surgery and stop takingestrogenandspironolactonewill experiencerevirilization, which is the re-development of masculine characteristics. If they have not undergone permanent hair removal, they will get hairier. They may experience male pattern baldness.

They will likely return to having spontaneous erections. Their chests may shrink to a degree, but depending on the extent of breast growth they experienced on estrogen, they may still have noticeable breasts.

Transmasculine individuals who stop takingtestosteroneand have not had surgery will likely resume menstruation (assuming they are of reproductive age). However, they will not lose any facial hair they have grown. Any voice and bone structure changes will also be permanent.

Patients who have hadtop surgerywill not regrow breasts if they have had a full mastectomy. Any bottom growth (clitoral growth) will likely also remain.

Some individuals who retransition or detransition may seek out surgery to reverse changes they experienced during their initial transition. This could be anything from breast removal up to and including phalloplasty for people who retransition to male after undergoing vaginoplasty.

There are not yet clear, evidence-based guidelines around when such surgeries are appropriate.

How Long Does Retransitioning Take?As with transitioning, retransitioning is a process rather than an event. While people often focus ongender affirmation surgeryas the main goal of retransitioning, it can involve many other social, legal, psychological, and aesthetic aspects, some of which may be more important to the individual.As such, the process of revirilization or refeminization can take anywhere from several months to several years.

How Long Does Retransitioning Take?

As with transitioning, retransitioning is a process rather than an event. While people often focus ongender affirmation surgeryas the main goal of retransitioning, it can involve many other social, legal, psychological, and aesthetic aspects, some of which may be more important to the individual.As such, the process of revirilization or refeminization can take anywhere from several months to several years.

As with transitioning, retransitioning is a process rather than an event. While people often focus ongender affirmation surgeryas the main goal of retransitioning, it can involve many other social, legal, psychological, and aesthetic aspects, some of which may be more important to the individual.

As such, the process of revirilization or refeminization can take anywhere from several months to several years.

Summary

Retransition (also known as detransition) is when a person who previously affirmed a transgender identity now affirms a cisgender identity. The affirmation may be temporary and permanent.

Retransition is a relatively uncommon occurrence. Despite what some might assume, it usually has less to do with “transition regret” and more to do with pressure from family, partners, friends, or relatives.

9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Slothouber V.(De)trans visibility: moral panic in mainstream media reports on de/retransition,Eur J Engl Stud.2020:24(1):89-99, doi: 10.1080/13825577.2020.1730052Turban JL, Loo SS, Almazan AN, Keuroghlian AS.Factors leading to “detransition” among transgender and gender diverse people in the United States: a mixed-methods analysis.LGBT Health.May/June 2021;8(4):273–80. doi:10.1089/lgbt.2020.0437Turban JL, Keuroghlian AS.Dynamic gender presentations: understanding transition and “de-transition” among transgender youth.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiat2018;57(7):451-453. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.03.016Gender Minorities Aotearoa.What is retransition or detransition?Newhood JT, Winters K, Pyne J, et al.Teach your parents and providers well.Can Fam Physician.2018 May;64(5):332–5.American Psychiatric Association.What is gender euphoria?Ashley, F.The clinical irrelevance of “desistance” research for transgender and gender creative youth.Psychol Sex Orient Gender Divers.2022;9(4):387–97. doi:https:10.1037/sgd0000504Djordjevic ML, Bizic MR, Duisin D, Bouman MB, Buncamper M.Reversal surgery in regretful male-to-female transsexuals after sex reassignment surgery.J Sex Med. 2016;13(6):1000-1007. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.02.173MacKinnon KR, Kia H, Salway T.Health care experiences of patients discontinuing or reversing prior gender-affirming treatments.JAMA Netw Open.2022 Jul;5(7):e2224717. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.24717Additional ReadingJames SE, Herman JL, Rankin S, Keisling M, Mottet M, Anafi M.The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality.

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Slothouber V.(De)trans visibility: moral panic in mainstream media reports on de/retransition,Eur J Engl Stud.2020:24(1):89-99, doi: 10.1080/13825577.2020.1730052Turban JL, Loo SS, Almazan AN, Keuroghlian AS.Factors leading to “detransition” among transgender and gender diverse people in the United States: a mixed-methods analysis.LGBT Health.May/June 2021;8(4):273–80. doi:10.1089/lgbt.2020.0437Turban JL, Keuroghlian AS.Dynamic gender presentations: understanding transition and “de-transition” among transgender youth.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiat2018;57(7):451-453. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.03.016Gender Minorities Aotearoa.What is retransition or detransition?Newhood JT, Winters K, Pyne J, et al.Teach your parents and providers well.Can Fam Physician.2018 May;64(5):332–5.American Psychiatric Association.What is gender euphoria?Ashley, F.The clinical irrelevance of “desistance” research for transgender and gender creative youth.Psychol Sex Orient Gender Divers.2022;9(4):387–97. doi:https:10.1037/sgd0000504Djordjevic ML, Bizic MR, Duisin D, Bouman MB, Buncamper M.Reversal surgery in regretful male-to-female transsexuals after sex reassignment surgery.J Sex Med. 2016;13(6):1000-1007. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.02.173MacKinnon KR, Kia H, Salway T.Health care experiences of patients discontinuing or reversing prior gender-affirming treatments.JAMA Netw Open.2022 Jul;5(7):e2224717. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.24717Additional ReadingJames SE, Herman JL, Rankin S, Keisling M, Mottet M, Anafi M.The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Slothouber V.(De)trans visibility: moral panic in mainstream media reports on de/retransition,Eur J Engl Stud.2020:24(1):89-99, doi: 10.1080/13825577.2020.1730052Turban JL, Loo SS, Almazan AN, Keuroghlian AS.Factors leading to “detransition” among transgender and gender diverse people in the United States: a mixed-methods analysis.LGBT Health.May/June 2021;8(4):273–80. doi:10.1089/lgbt.2020.0437Turban JL, Keuroghlian AS.Dynamic gender presentations: understanding transition and “de-transition” among transgender youth.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiat2018;57(7):451-453. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.03.016Gender Minorities Aotearoa.What is retransition or detransition?Newhood JT, Winters K, Pyne J, et al.Teach your parents and providers well.Can Fam Physician.2018 May;64(5):332–5.American Psychiatric Association.What is gender euphoria?Ashley, F.The clinical irrelevance of “desistance” research for transgender and gender creative youth.Psychol Sex Orient Gender Divers.2022;9(4):387–97. doi:https:10.1037/sgd0000504Djordjevic ML, Bizic MR, Duisin D, Bouman MB, Buncamper M.Reversal surgery in regretful male-to-female transsexuals after sex reassignment surgery.J Sex Med. 2016;13(6):1000-1007. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.02.173MacKinnon KR, Kia H, Salway T.Health care experiences of patients discontinuing or reversing prior gender-affirming treatments.JAMA Netw Open.2022 Jul;5(7):e2224717. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.24717

Slothouber V.(De)trans visibility: moral panic in mainstream media reports on de/retransition,Eur J Engl Stud.2020:24(1):89-99, doi: 10.1080/13825577.2020.1730052

Turban JL, Loo SS, Almazan AN, Keuroghlian AS.Factors leading to “detransition” among transgender and gender diverse people in the United States: a mixed-methods analysis.LGBT Health.May/June 2021;8(4):273–80. doi:10.1089/lgbt.2020.0437

Turban JL, Keuroghlian AS.Dynamic gender presentations: understanding transition and “de-transition” among transgender youth.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiat2018;57(7):451-453. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.03.016

Gender Minorities Aotearoa.What is retransition or detransition?

Newhood JT, Winters K, Pyne J, et al.Teach your parents and providers well.Can Fam Physician.2018 May;64(5):332–5.

American Psychiatric Association.What is gender euphoria?

Ashley, F.The clinical irrelevance of “desistance” research for transgender and gender creative youth.Psychol Sex Orient Gender Divers.2022;9(4):387–97. doi:https:10.1037/sgd0000504

Djordjevic ML, Bizic MR, Duisin D, Bouman MB, Buncamper M.Reversal surgery in regretful male-to-female transsexuals after sex reassignment surgery.J Sex Med. 2016;13(6):1000-1007. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.02.173

MacKinnon KR, Kia H, Salway T.Health care experiences of patients discontinuing or reversing prior gender-affirming treatments.JAMA Netw Open.2022 Jul;5(7):e2224717. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.24717

James SE, Herman JL, Rankin S, Keisling M, Mottet M, Anafi M.The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality.

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