Debate › Detransition · Last reviewed 2026-05-16
Detransition research
Summary
Detransition — discontinuing medical transition and returning to identification with the birth sex — has been documented in a growing number of publications. Prevalence estimates range from under 1% in clinical cohort studies to well above 10% in self-report surveys; methodological differences in definition and sample are substantial. See also /studies/de-vries-2014/ and /studies/sample-size-and-attrition/.
1. Key publications
- Littman L. Individuals treated for gender dysphoria with medical and/or surgical transition who subsequently detransitioned. Arch Sex Behav. 2021;50:3353–69.
- Vandenbussche E. Detransition-related needs and support. J Homosex. 2022;69(9):1602–20.
- Boyd I, Hackett T, Bewley S. Care of transgender patients: a general practice quality improvement approach. Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10(1):121.
- Hall R, Mitchell L, Sachdeva J. Access to care and frequency of detransition among a cohort of UK gender service users. BJPsych Open. 2021;7(6):e184.
2. Prevalence estimates
| Study | n | Detransition rate |
|---|---|---|
| van der Loos 2022 (Amsterdam UMC) — see follow-up overview | 720 | 2.0% |
| Hall 2021 (UK NHS) — see UK | 175 | 6.9% |
| Littman 2021 (online survey) | 100 | self-selected — n/a |
| Vandenbussche 2022 (online survey) | 237 | self-selected — n/a |
3. Methodological notes
- Definitional question: detransition ≠ identity revision; some detransitioners continue to identify as trans.
- Clinical cohorts primarily register patients who remain in contact with the clinic; attrition may lead to underestimation — see /studies/sample-size-and-attrition/.
- Online surveys have self-selection bias; prevalence estimates not generalisable.
See also
- People register — Littman, Bell.
- International comparison.
- Timeline.
- De Vries et al. (2014) — psychological outcome study in which 1 patient dropped out (peritonitis) and no detransition was reported.
- Follow-up studies — overview — discontinuation and detransition rates.
- Sample size and attrition — methodological dossier on attrition bias.
- Desistance research — related debate on pre-pubertal dysphoria.
- Follow-up in the protocol — how the original aftercare was structured.
- Cass Review (2024) — discussion of detransition figures in international evidence base.
- FAQ · Glossary · For journalists.
Detransition across the network
Other sites in this network also cover this topic:
Detransition
alfabetbende.nl
Detransition
genderinfo.nl
Detransition
genderellende.nl
Detransition — prevalence, motives, duration
genderrisico.nl
Detransition and identity
transgenderidentiteit.nl
What is detransition?
gender123.nl