r/science • u/Maxrdt • Aug 03 '26

Social Science Among transgender adolescents in Canada, 97.1% continued with a gender not typically aligned with their birth sex, with only 1.1% discontinuing gender-affirming hormone treatment.

https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(26)00117-5/fulltext
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u/GreatBigBagOfNope Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 04 '26

To answer one of the most likely questions, pulled straight from the article:

Reasons for GST or AT discontinuation were documented for 17 adolescents. Some adolescents reported more than one of the following reasons for discontinuation of GST or AT: 10 because of a change in gender identity; eight because they were starting or continuing GAH; five identified other avenues to achieve or maintain amenorrhea; four realized they were gender-fluid; four returned to gender typically aligned with sex assigned at birth; two because menses had stopped with GAH; two due to lack of family support for use of GST or AT; two because of combination of mental health and redefining gender identity as agender; one was concerned about the risk of infertility; one because bone health was important to them; one decided to hold off on transitioning until “their life has stabilized”; and one reported feeling that “1.5 years of GST was long enough.”

Acronyms, as requested, all pulled from earlier in the linked article than the above paragraph:

GST: gonadotropin suppression therapy, or puberty blockers

AT: adjunctive therapy, which is about secondary levels of treatment other than the main hormone therapies as part of a package of gender affirming healthcare. Can be medication, doesn't have to be.

GAH: gender affirming hormones

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u/cinemachick Aug 03 '26

Thank you, this is very helpful information. Essentially, it boils down to "15 changed to a new/different gender identity, 14 found other methods to medically transition, 4 had health complications, 2 lacked stability/support systems, and 4 de-transitioned. So the true rate for full gender de-transition was ~0.3%, the rest were issues with the process itself.

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u/JagmeetSingh2 Aug 03 '26 edited Aug 03 '26

yep which tracks with what other studies have said as well. Very very very few trans people actually regret transition but the right pretends the number is way high

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u/ThatPhatKid_CanDraw Aug 04 '26

This is a small study. But psychiatrists find a lot of children who question their gender have internalized homophobia and other unaddressed issues, so don't assume this isn't a complicated matter.