Regret is rare among transgender youth who began hormone therapy, according to largest study of its kind

A new, extensive study has found that transgender youth who have begun hormone therapy are very unlikely to regret their decision, according to the findings published in JAMA Pediatrics. The research, led by Laura Kuper from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, sought to determine the long-term impact of gender-affirming hormone therapy on teenagers' mental health and well-being.

The study analyzed survey responses and medical records from former patients of a multidisciplinary pediatric gender program in the United States. Most participants began hormone therapy after a thorough evaluation with a mental health professional, often with parental consent. The majority of hormone-treated individuals were assigned female at birth and initiated testosterone, while the remainder were assigned male at birth and started estrogen.

Roughly 92% of the sample had begun hormone therapy by age 17, with an average starting age of 16. Nearly 11 years elapsed on average since participants began hormone therapy. Researchers found that only 4.3 out of 100 respondents reported regret, with a median score of zero, indicating very few respondents experienced any regret over their decision to start hormone therapy.

This minimal regret rate contrasts with concerns raised by policymakers and some prior research on adults, which has suggested that pausing or stopping medical transition may be linked to regret or harm. The findings suggest that current clinic patients who started hormone therapy are generally satisfied with their decision, providing valuable data amid ongoing debates surrounding adolescent medical care for transgender individuals.