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Definitions of detransition and regret

Detransition is not an unambiguous concept.

Detransition

Detransition is not an unambiguous concept. It can refer to socially returning to the original sex role, stopping hormone treatment, undergoing reconstructive surgery, reversing legal sex registration, or a combination of these.

Regret

Regret is a separate category. Someone may stop transitioning without regret (for example for health reasons or social pressure), and someone may have regret without fully returning. The scientific literature uses various measurement instruments, which makes comparison difficult.

Importance for statistics

The choice of definition has a major impact on reported percentages. Regret after surgery is often reported lower than overall detransition. For policy, differentiation matters in order to draw meaningful conclusions.