37 Youtube videos posted by young people who gender-transitioned as teens and then later detransitioned as adults, a study just published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy has identified five pathways into the transition that they later regretted: (1) about one-third admitted to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or ADHD. For the former, gender transition seemed to be a way of joining a structured community that addressed their sense of social isolation, and the latter described their decision as a result of hyperfocus and impulsivity. (2) Nearly half described prior sexual abuse and saw cross-sex identification as a safety mechanism to escape a victimized or objectified identity. (3) The majority emphasized the influence of digital echo chambers or premature exposure to gender ideology at school or by trans-affirming adults with whom they interacted online. (4) About one-third saw gender transition as a way of escaping the stigma associated with being gay or lesbian. (5) Extreme sexual stereotyping influenced about one-third, such as fears of “toxic masculinity” on the part of boys or a developing feminized body on the part of girls.
Although nearly all experienced a period of initial euphoria after transition, common reasons cited for detransition included medical complications or psychological distress occasioned by hormone therapy, collapse of the social scaffolding that initially supported their trans identity, psychological maturation or religious experiences that gave them a new understanding of their previous adolescent distress. Understanding improper motivations for the initial desire to transition and the basis for later decisions to detransition is important to psychological screening of young people who may be considering this life-altering step.
