Medical Community Fails to Support Gender Detransitioners: Our Stories Deserve Recognition and Assistance

At the age of 12, I attempted to transition my gender.

My decision was supported by everyone around me.

Therapists assured me I was on the right path.

Doctors prescribed puberty blockers followed by cross-sex hormones and eventually a double mastectomy.

My parents’ health insurance covered all the expenses.

The medical community believed transitioning was the right choice, following the concept of “gender-affirming care.”

The message I received was clear: Transitioning was the best decision I could have made.

However, at 16, I realized I had made a mistake.

I desired to detransition and revert to the girl I truly was.

But when I expressed my desire, I lost all support.

The therapists dismissed my feelings as confusion, attributing it to a “gender journey.”

The doctors refused to provide the necessary treatments to reverse the transition.

I was made to feel like I was unreasonable, seeking something beyond the scope of medicine.

Eventually, they stopped communicating with me altogether.

My parents’ health insurance denied coverage for any detransition expenses.

While they covered the costs of my transition, they wouldn’t cover reconstructive surgery or mental health care.

My parents and I are now burdened with tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills, with no end in sight.

Everywhere I turned, the medical community either denied the existence of detransitioning or dismissed its importance.

This highlights the bias in gender-affirming care, which only affirms transitioning and neglects those who regret their decision.

Now at 19, my chest remains bandaged where my breasts once were.

I suffer from urinary-tract problems due to the medications I was given.

When I see my reflection, I often struggle to recognize my own face due to the physical changes caused by testosterone.

My life is filled with physical pain and mental anguish every minute of every day.

The medical establishment chooses to ignore me, but I exist.

And I am not alone.

More and more young children are following a similar path, attempting to transition at a very young age due to societal pressure and social contagion.

However, many of these children are not truly transgender.

Studies show that nearly two-thirds of children who are unhappy with their biological sex eventually accept their true identity as adults.

This has led to a growing number of individuals detransitioning, facing similar challenges of being ignored by the medical community after being encouraged to transition initially.

They struggle to access mental health care, necessary treatments, and surgeries.

Obtaining health insurance that covers their needs is also a challenge, resulting in significant financial burdens.

As I have learned, gender transitions are not easily reversible, and ongoing psychiatric and pharmaceutical assistance is often necessary.

Many individuals like me face a lifetime of struggles due to irreversible changes from transitioning.

We deserve to be acknowledged, supported, and assisted.

I advocate for states to implement a Detransitioner Bill of Rights that ensures health insurance covers detransition expenses at the very least.

I have testified in four state legislatures this year alone, with Arizona’s Senate passing the bill of rights in March, awaiting approval from the House.

This is a fundamental matter of justice, fairness, and equality.

If the medical community is involved in altering children’s bodies and minds, they should also be responsible for rectifying any resulting issues.

All I ask for is the same level of support I received when I initially transitioned at 12.

Back then, I was unaware of the implications, but those who facilitated the transition should not be allowed to disregard me now.

Chloe Cole is the patient advocate at Do No Harm.