Detransitioned men
Public and scientific discourse disproportionately focuses on young transmasculine and AFAB detransitioners. In effect, many detrans men and nonbinary transfeminine detransitioners are ignored.
The rise in transmasculine and AFAB youth seeking gender-affirming treatments—and some of them later detransitioning—is central to the political moment we are living through. Put simply, concerns about (white) femininity, preserving the fertility and beauty of young women, and protecting vulnerable children are key ideological and “moral panic” aspects driving certain factions of reactionary, anti-LGBTQ+ politics in the U.S.
And that may be, in part, driven by an empirical reality. For the last 10+ years, it’s true that the majority of youth/young adults seeking trans medical treatments were assigned female at birth. Similarly, it is reasonably empirically accurate to say that most people detransitioning today are AFAB. This is evident in community surveys, national registry studies, and from studies utilizing clinical case notes.
Transmasculine individuals also observe this phenomenon anecdotally, both online and within their in-person social networks.
As far as we know, detransition remains a minority experience occurring in roughly 5-10% of medical transitions. However, it can happen 5 years to decades after the initial transition.
This overrepresentation of AFAB detransitioners may simply reflect the sex/gender demographics of the younger trans population that has accessed treatment in the last 10+ years. Alternatively, AFAB people may be more likely to participate in research, or they may have greater medical and psychological needs regarding “reversing” an FTM medical transition due to the permanent social implications of testosterone. (This is similar to why post-pubertal trans women might require more transition-related interventions if their goal is to pass as cisgender women.)
In other words, the medical and social impacts of testosterone-based transitioning, particularly when started in adolescence, may lead natal females to feel the need for more support after detransitioning. They may also express stronger regret and participate in community studies, thus gaining more visibility in detransition research and related discussions.
However, all that said, this post is not about AFAB detransition.
Instead, we would like to direct you to some older posts written by men who detransitioned/retransitioned and who lived as trans women for many years before deciding to detransition. A few are posted below!
The experiences of detransitioned men (or nonbinary AMAB individuals) are often overlooked in public discourse and overshadowed by the AFAB detrans experience. In our own respective studies, they are a minority (comprising about 20%-36% of our samples from Canada and the U.S.). However, outside of research, we regularly speak with or receive emails from people who have detransitioned or experienced medical complications or regrets after a transfeminine (MTF) transition.
Similar to AFAB detransitioners, the experiences of AMAB detransitioners during transition, their current identities, their perspectives on adolescent transition care and ongoing care needs can vary greatly. Some might not have detransitioned if they had had more support, economic opportunities, or if they hadn’t been bullied at work for being trans women. Others might not have detransitioned if they had not experienced lethargy from estrogen or surgical complications. Some detransition after experiencing serious complications from vaginoplasty and have difficulty finding adequate specialists to treat them. We do not know how common this is.
We have also been in touch with detrans men who have reported experiencing unexpected sexual side effects even after discontinuing estrogen therapy. It’s possible that there are drug interactions between estrogen and other medications. We don’t know, and we are not aware of any research on the topic. They report symptoms similar to post-SSRI sexual dysfunction, which is a very psychologically distressing experience with little clinical research.
Some have no regrets about transitioning. Others do, as this young man explains in a TikTok video, where he also touches on some of the potential sexual side effects of estrogen treatment mentioned above.
Through our research and personal connections, we know others who have reidentified as nonbinary, queer, or gay cis men after living as binary trans women for many years. They remain very connected to queer and trans communities.
In detransition research, overall, AMAB participants seem more likely than detransitioned women/nonbinary AFAB folks to cite transphobia, discrimination, lack of support, and other environmental pressures as reasons for detransitioning. This consistent pattern has been found across several studies. While the popular narrative that trans people detransition due to discrimination is not incorrect, it appears to be more rooted in the experiences of trans women, particularly those with a history of temporary detransition and subsequent retransition to re-affirm their trans identities.
Below are a few detransitioned/retransitioned men who are featured in The One Percent.
Brian Belovitch has deep connections within the LGBTQA+ community. His rich experience on gender and identity informs the work he does with those individuals who are facing their own mental health challenges. He is the author of Trans Figured: My Journey from Boy to Girl to Woman to Man.
Moving Trans History Forward Conference with Brian Belovitch
Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing reflections from the Moving Trans History Forward conference, a hybrid conference that was held in March 2025, at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. MTHF is a bi-annual Trans Studies / trans community conference. It’s put on, in part, by the
Nicolás Raveau is Chilean. He lives in Ancud, Los Lagos. He is a researcher at Detrans Chile, the only entity currently providing first-person testimonies about detransition in Chile.
Trans and detransition drifts
Nicolás Raveau is Chilean. He lives in Ancud, Los Lagos. He is a researcher at Detrans Chile, the only entity currently providing first-person testimonies about detransition in Chile. He has published research, articles, and has given interviews about detransition and trans healthcare approaches.
We had a conversation with Alexander L on his YouTube channel. Alexander is currently working on a book about his own experiences through detransition. The book will be part memoir, part philosophy of sex/gender/detransition, while aiming to think about a model of care that minimizes harm and builds bridges between trans and detrans folks.
Thank you for reading The One Percent!
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