Trans Desistance

[Confusedmum71]

In light of the recent research that says ROGD is not backed up by scientific evidence, I am wondering if that fits with parental experiences?
Are there any parents willing to share updates on their trans children? Especially teenage girls.
I was content with a watchful waiting approach, safe in the knowledge that a large proportion of teens desist in the absence of interventions, but my anxieties are resurfacing in light of this new research.
thank you

who have less valid reasons than those before the increase?

Something worthy of investigation at least surely? And it’s not about validity of reasons necessarily but more about the shocking absence of evidence that medical transition helps.

https://whatweknow.inequality.cornell.edu/topics/lgbt-equality/what-does-the-scholarly-research-say-about-the-well-being-of-transgender-people/

The most recent studies included in that review seem to be from 2016?

So none of the ROGD generation teens will be in the data (the referral spike/ sex ratio swap happens around 2014/2015, so clearly those kids are not post transition by 2016.

Can I ask why you bumped this thread to add irrelevant data? Seems a bit weird, are you a bot?

The oldest studies are from the 90s, don't be disingenuous now

The MOST RECENT! Not the oldest you daft sausage!

As TheClogLady said: the most recent data in the study is from six years ago and does not include cases such as concern most of us — ie ROGD incites by social media and/or by lockdown solitude. Old studies that do not analyse the causes of gender identity crises, not analyse the links between MH challenges and gender crises are minimally relevant, if at all.

Well, a year in to oldest (nearly 15 now), and several friends, identifying as non binary, no one is desisting, albeit last we know, their first peer to identify as such had moved to 'whatever' about pronouns, which suggests to me they are allowing a 'drift' towards their original ones and I think this will happen with a few as they develop actual sexuality.

Only one is having dysphoria issues, that they have had all along; neither my DC nor other friends are displaying any serious issues with body image or desire for medicalisation, neither is my trans nephew in his late teens.

As some people have posted about other interests - DC has been intensively involved in music performance (jncluding a professional role) these last few months and continues to be with several performance and an ABRSM exam coming up, almost to the exclusion of anything else going on. This hasn't in any way affected how they identify, but as I said they are generally happy and positive about it and it remains something that seems to be a net good thing in their life so that's fine by us.

I still think that other activities may have a role to play where the gender identity thing is connected with anxieties and depression that aren't actually gender based.

But I don't see how that's relevant when 51 studies all say the same thing.

Just because there are now more trans people than there were previous doesn't change the contradictions that lead to a person becoming trans

Because the patient cohort has changed! 🤦‍♀️

If a cancer that was mostly seen in men over 40 suddenly started being diagnosed in thousands of adolescent girls (but only in western countries) do you think the existing studies on men over 40 would be relevant for deciding the treatment protocol for those girls or do you think the international oncologist community would go, ‘hold on a minute, something unusual is happening and we need a new set of studies, ASAP’?

cancer is not equivalent to trans people

No, in my analogy trans people are the cancer patients not the cancer 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Does transition constitute medical treatment for a diagnosed condition?

Excellent analogy! There is clearly something new happening, especially amongst adolescent girls. The medical/psychiatric/public policy/education professions need to analyse why there is a sudden increase in adolescents (especially girls) wanting to “transition”. Studies from decades ago have little relevance for what is happening today.

Echobelly: I am glad your DC and friends seem to be happy and engaged in wholesome activities.
i am very curious to see what happens as these youths develop their sexuality. I assume I am ignorant and/or old fashioned but I just don’t understand how “non-binary” fits with sexuality, specifically with sexual relations. A female teen I know recently declared herself (their self?) to be non-binary. If/when this person explores a sexual relationship, presumably that relationship would have to be as a female (whether homosexual or heterosexual) given it is physically impossible for her/them to engage in a sexual relationship as a man.
It just seems to me when someone begins to engage in sexual relations, the “acts” become “binary” and therefore require some sort of gender definition, regardless how one wishes to dress and otherwise “present”.
Realise this question is a bit off-topic from this thread. Sorry! But perhaps it is relevant as emerging sexuality might encourage some “trans” youth to reconsider their gender expression.

@Inamuddle36 I think for some of us we feel most female and centred while having sex, but i don't think it is that way for everyone, especially if they are often dissociated from their bodies. Also even for me I only orgasm when I am fantasising and 'out of my head' ie I am quite dissociated myself. I realised a while ago that for many years I engaged on sex as though I were being watched, which was disastrous for my sex life, and unfortunately I think that us going to be more common in a porn-soaked culture.

It is quite possible that transitioning could work as a benign route away from that dissociation, rather than being a cause of dissociation. It is very easy to see in this thread that the majority of the children being described here are finding transition certainly doesn't prevent, and can support, a positive way forward in life. We should be glad of that.

@Inamuddle36 I'm not sure sexuality changes much. My DD who identifies as a trans man believed herself to be in a heterosexual relationship with her girlfriend. In fact her first partner was also a trans man and they thought of themselves as a pair of gay men.

Anyway all of this appears pretty fluid and she is now still ID as male but actually now grateful the medial pathway was not available when she first wanted it (at 14). She now wants to pursue more talking therapy and keep things open.

We fought hard to keep her off that pathway - numerous medical professionals appeared to be pushing towards it and while we don't know what the future holds she is less and less interested in medical treatment.

Fatherly: it sounds like you are a very supportive parent! Your daughter is very fortunate!

Sorry … meant to address Gatherly!! Sorry for auto-correct

Thanks for the thread OP, very useful.

Thanks @Inamuddle36. She's actually grateful to us now.

Sorry to resurrect an older thread but this is me now- except we’re in the US and she turned 18 last year. Despite presenting as male for 2 years nothing has been ‘said’ until yesterday and I’m devastated. She talked about ‘moving forward’ which means pronouns/name I guess plus she talked about her hatred of her breasts for years so now it’s moving towards medical options in her mind:(
How are things going for you now?

Hello. My son first told me he was a trans girl when he was about 12 or 13. Like most, I was completely thrown and had no idea what to do. But I made it clear I was therefor him and always would be. His talk of medical intervention has come and gone over the years. 100% it’s worse during school holidays when he spends too much time alone. Anyway, recently he told me that a girl was interested in him but he couldn’t do anything about it due to being trans. DH told him (as he has done on a few occasions) to stop labelling himself as one thing or another and just have some life experience and see what happens. Fast forward a few weeks and she is now his girlfriend. I felt very strongly that he would grow out of the trans thing and fingers crossed, I think I might have been right.

Well, for anyone still looking to this thread for hope, I can now give an update.
fast forward 8 months from my thread and my DD is very much my DD again - uses she/her pronouns and identifies 100% as female. Has a lovely boyfriend and doing fabulously well at school.
all this with no interventions or assistance. We had to just ride it out but so glad I stuck to my guns and trusted my instinct.
sending hugs to anyone still struggling through this minefield.

@Confusedmum71 I'm really glad to hear your DD has emerged unscathed from all of this. Was there anything in particular which led to detransition? My DD identifies as trans but appears much less invested in it this year than previously. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping we can ride it out like you did. Did you have many conversations with your DD? Mine has not mentioned it much lately and I'm loathe to bring it up in case she ends up digging her heels in (she's diagnosed ASD so tends to be have very polarised thinking about everything)

Great news @Confusedmum71, and like for my DD, they are young and just finding their way through a rather mad world. Keep being supportive and showering the love.