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kids who identify as a different gender at a young age rarely regret their decision

the vast majority of young kids who socially transition still maintain their gender identity five years later, according to a new study.

by maija kappler

published may 06, 2022

4 minute read

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4 minute read

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young trans kids maintain their identity 5 years after transition

the study found that almost all of the kids in that group — 94 per cent — still identified with their new gender five years later. getty

the vast majority of kids who socially transition are unlikely to change their mind in the next five years, according to a new study. the study, published in the journal pediatrics, is part of a larger research initiative called the trans youth project, which tracks over 300 trans kids in the u.s. and canada. the children involved in the project all went through a social transition between the ages of three and 12. (social transition can mean different things to different people, but it generally involves some combination of taking on new pronouns, new clothing or hairstyles, and a new name.) the average transition age of the children involved in the research is six and a half.

the study found that almost all of the kids in that group — 94 per cent — still identified with their new gender five years later. a small group — 3.5 per cent — identified as nonbinary. and only 2.5 per cent (eight children in total) had “detransitioned” or “retransitioned,” terms that both mean going back to identifying as the gender they were assigned at birth.

“there’s this sort of idea that the kids are going to be starting those things and that they’re going to change their minds,” the study’s leader, princeton psychologist kristina olson, told the new york times. “and at least in our sample, we’re not finding that.”

there are a few limitations to the study, olson said: the participants were mostly white, and from supportive households with relatively high income and education level.

matches previous research

there isn’t a lot of research on transgender kids, but this study lines up with much of the literature that’s already out there, some of it also by the trans youth project: while there are some exceptions, people often know they’re trans at a young age. according to a 2019 study, gender identity was as strong in young trans kids as in young cisgender kids (kids whose gender identity matches the gender they were assigned at birth).

“trans kids are showing strong identities and preferences that are different from their assigned sex,” lead author selin gülgöz told the university of washington’s news outlet at the time. “there is almost no difference between these trans- and cisgender kids of the same gender identity — both in how, and the extent to which, they identify with their gender or express that gender.”

the 2019 study found that young kids who showed gender nonconformity were more likely to socially transition — meaning, as the atlantic explained it, boys who were very feminine were most likely to be living as girls two years later, across all class and political backgrounds.

“i think this wouldn’t surprise parents of trans kids, and my findings are often ‘duh’ findings for them,” olson told the magazine. “it seems pretty intuitive.”

backlash against gender-affirming care for kids

the last few years have seen a number of articles published in mainstream news outlets about children and teens regretting their choice to transition, something advocates say is exceedingly rare. framing something so statistically unlikely as a major crisis is disingenuous, trans groups say, when accessing trans health care is still so difficult. “it is almost a universal that transgender people wish they could transition sooner or were born the right gender to begin with,” amanda kerri wrote in the advocate about one of the most widely-reviled articles about trans kids, which emphasized detransition above all else.

the research also comes amid a wave of legislation in the u.s. that aims to criminalize doctors and parents who help provide affirming care to trans children. it’s a felony for doctors to treat trans kids in alabama, while texas, tennessee and arkansas have severely limited or outright banned gender-affirming care. one texas woman who works for the state’s child protective services agency was placed on leave earlier this year while she was under investigation for having a trans daughter.

the woman, who identified her daughter as “mary doe,” refused to turn over mary’s medical records and went to court to try to stop the inquiry.

“we are terrified for mary’s health and well-being, and for our family. i feel betrayed by my state and the agency for whom i work,” she wrote in court documents. “not providing mary with the medically necessary health care that she needs is not an option for us.”

even trans people with supportive families and access to care face high levels of discrimination and violence. but people whose gender identity is rejected and who are forced to undergo gender identity conversion efforts — essentially, people who forced not to identify as trans — face severe mental health consequences, as well. according to a 2019 study, trans adults who were forced to go through gender identity conversion efforts before they were 10 had a “significantly” higher chance of attempting suicide.

the importance of valid care for kids of all gender identities

while detransition is rare, it is something it’s helpful for doctors to understand, the new study states: “understanding retransitions is crucial for clinicians and families to help make them as smooth as possible for youth.”

but understanding how to provide affirming healthcare to transgender children is crucial, given that that’s a much larger number. more than 100,000 canadians identify as trans or non-binary, according to census data that came out in late april.

maija kappler is a reporter and editor at healthing. you can reach her at mkappler@postmedia.com

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kids who identify as a different gender at a young age rarely regret their decision

the vast majority of young kids who socially transition still maintain their gender identity five years later, according to a new study.

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kids who identify as a different gender at a young age rarely regret their decision

the vast majority of young kids who socially transition still maintain their gender identity five years later, according to a new study.

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