A: Transition is a big life choice. And of course, any big life choice (including getting married, having children, changing jobs, pursuing a graduate eduction, or transition) might end in regret. But all of these life choices can nonetheless be reasonable and worthwhile. You certainly shouldn’t try to interfere with others’ choices on the grounds that they might regret their decisions.
The majority of trans people are happy with their choice to transition. “Transitioning,” of course, is not just one thing; it’s a process with many steps. But regardless of how you ask the question; regret is rare. Here is a little information about satisfaction and regret for different parts of the transition process.
- Social transition: According to the 2015 US Transgender Survey, about 8% of respondents socially “de-transitioned,” meaning that they had “gone back to living as their [sex] assigned at birth, at least for a while.” Of that 8%, however, the majority (62%) had re-transitioned, and were once again living as a gender other than the one assigned to them at birth. The most common reasons for de-transition involved social pressure from parents and other family members, and difficulties associated with employment, harassment, and discrimination. Only 5% said they had de-transitioned because they realized that transition was not for them.
- Genital surgery: It is very rare for trans people to regret genital surgery; most studies put the regret rate at 1-2%. (See Brynn Tannehill’s citations.)
- Chest surgery: People whose breasts are disordant with their gender identity sometimes choose to have their breasts removed. Studies suggest that it is rare to regret this kind of surgery; a recent study by Frederick et al reports that 83% of patients surveyed were very satisfied with their surgery results and 100% would recommend the surgery to others, while van Grift et al report that 94-100% of patients are satisfied with their surgery 4-6 years out.
Of course, if someone regrets transitioning, they deserve support and respect (just like anyone else who has made a choice they regret). But here, as in other contexts, “what if you regret it?” can be used as a weapon of control, rather than an expression of genuine concern.
Further reading
- Alex Barasch, Sacred Bodies
- Brynn Tannehill, Myths About Transition Regrets
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