What are the downsides of transitioning?
Asked by: Carolanne Schultz DDS | Last update: March 12, 2026Score: 4.5/5 (9 votes)
Disadvantages of transitioning involve significant social, financial, and health challenges, including potential discrimination, loss of family/friend support, high costs for medical care (hormones, surgeries, therapy), and physical risks from hormones (blood clots, liver issues, high blood pressure) or surgery (fertility loss, complications). There's also the emotional burden of navigating an "in-between" stage, identity struggles, dealing with uninformed professionals, and risks of regret or detransition, though rates vary.
What are the negative effects of transitioning?
Here are some health issues to be aware of and talk about with your provider.
- Hormone issues. While transitioning, you'll take hormones to achieve masculine or feminine effects. ...
- Cancer. ...
- Mental health issues. ...
- Sexually transmitted infections. ...
- Substance abuse. ...
- Heart disease. ...
- Obesity.
What is the regret rate for transition?
Among those who underwent gonadectomy, rates of regret, as ascertain from retrospective review of documentation in medical charts, were only 0.3% for transgender men and 0.6% for transgender women, with an average time to regret of approximately 11 years.
At what age is it safe to transition?
For example, some Planned Parenthood health centers only provide hormone therapy to patients who have parental consent and are at least 16 years old, while others only provide hormone therapy for ages 18+. You might be required to get a formal diagnosis of gender dysphoria to access gender-affirming care.
Is there a downside to hormone replacement therapy?
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) disadvantages include increased risks of blood clots, stroke, and certain cancers (especially breast and uterine with long-term use), plus common side effects like bloating, headaches, nausea, mood changes, and weight gain; risks depend on HRT type, duration, and individual health, making doctor consultation crucial.
What Studies Say About Transgender, Gender Dysphoria, and Gender Affirming Care
Is it better to be on HRT or not?
If you're under 60 years old, have menopause symptoms, and are not at high risk of breast cancer or blood clots, the benefits of HRT are likely to outweigh the risks. Talk to a GP, who will help you decide.
Why are doctors against hormone therapy?
For some, menopause hormone therapy may increase the risk of: Heart disease. Stroke. Blood clots.
At what point is someone fully transitioned?
"Fully transitioned" will mean different things for different people. It might mean you've had all of the procedures you want to get, or that you pass completely in public and you being trans never really comes up in life. Some people might mean you've had bottom surgery, specifically.
Does transitioning help gender dysphoria?
Most transwomen had undergone genital surgery, and most transmen chest surgery. Overall, the levels of gender dysphoria and body dissatisfaction were significantly lower at follow-up compared with clinical entry. Satisfaction with therapy responsive and unresponsive body characteristics both improved.
Why are so many people detransitioning?
Frequently endorsed external factors included pressure from family and societal stigma. History of detransition was associated with male sex assigned at birth, nonbinary gender identity, bisexual sexual orientation, and having a family unsupportive of one's gender identity.
How much would a full transition cost?
This can include breast augmentation, genital surgery, facial feminization surgery (FFS), and voice feminization surgery. Because of the variety and complexity of procedures, the total cost of MTF gender-affirming surgery can reach up to $140,500. However, the average cost typically falls between $5,000 and $30,000.
Has anyone ever transitioned and then transitioned back?
The National Center for Transgender Equality conducted a survey of individuals who currently identified as transgender. The results published in the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey found that 8% of respondents reported having ever detransitioned; 62% of that group reported having subsequently retransitioned.
Can gender dysphoria go away without transitioning?
Yes, gender dysphoria can lessen or resolve for some people without a full transition through strategies like social changes (name, pronouns, clothing) or therapy, but for others, transitioning (social, hormonal, or surgical) provides significant relief, and it may persist lifelong, varying in intensity, as each experience is unique. Addressing the distress with professional help is key to finding what works, which could be anything from affirming self-expression to medical steps, or even acceptance of one's identity.
What happens to a man when he transitions to a woman?
It involves removing the penis, testicles and scrotum. During a vaginoplasty procedure, tissue in the genital area is rearranged to create a vaginal canal (or opening) and vulva (external genitalia), including the labia.
What are the long-term outcomes of transitioning?
Research Findings
2. Among the positive outcomes of gender transition and related medical treatments for transgender individuals are improved quality of life, greater relationship satisfaction, higher self-esteem and confidence, and reductions in anxiety, depression, suicidality, and substance use. 3.
Can a fully transitioned woman have a baby?
As uterus transplantations are currently experimental, and none have successfully been performed on trans women, they cannot become pregnant.
Would I be happier if I transitioned?
Emily Guskin: We found that 78 percent of trans people said that living as a different gender than they were assigned at birth has made them more satisfied with their lives, including more than 4 in 10 who say they are a lot more satisfied. A lot of people see transition as switching to another gender.
How many adults regret transitioning?
A UK study of over 3,000 gender clinic attendees found a regret rate of just 0.47%. A US study involving 28,000 trans adults showed that only 8% had ever detransitioned, and 62% of them did so temporarily, largely due to societal pressure. A Danish national cohort found a regret rate of 0.06% per person-year.
How long does a male to female transition take?
Take your time, transitioning can take a long time. On average it takes 2-3 years. Talk to people in your trans support group if you want help with your appearance. For example your clothes and hair.
What is the youngest age you can change your gender?
Transgender and non-binary people typically do not have gender-affirming surgeries before the age of 18. In some rare exceptions, teenagers under the age of 18 have received gender-affirming surgeries in order to reduce the impacts of significant gender dysphoria, including anxiety, depression, and suicidality.
What is the average age to start transitioning?
While the average age for beginning a medical transition is around 30, many trans women don't begin their transitions until later in life due to various factors such as family or career obligations.
Does Angelina Jolie take HRT?
Specifically, celebrities from Oprah to Angelina Jolie are touting the use of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy or BHRT.
What is the oldest age a woman can still have her period?
The maximum typical age for periods to start (menarche) is around 15 or 16, with most starting between 10 and 16, averaging about 12 years old, but if you haven't had a period by age 15, or by 13 without any other signs of puberty, it's recommended to see a doctor for evaluation. While some might start as early as 8, a period starting after 15 without breast development or other pubertal changes warrants medical advice.
Who is not a good candidate for hormone therapy?
People who generally cannot take hormone therapy (HT) include those with a personal history of certain cancers (breast, uterine, ovarian), blood clots, stroke, heart attack, severe liver disease, gallbladder disease, unexplained vaginal bleeding, or those who are pregnant/breastfeeding; also, some with severe migraines, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or certain autoimmune conditions may need to avoid it, making a doctor's consultation crucial to weigh personal risks versus benefits.