A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that nearly 97% of transgender and gender-diverse young people who began hormone therapy during adolescence believe they made the right decision. However, researchers also acknowledged limitations involving participants who did not complete follow-up surveys, leaving questions about their experiences unanswered.
The study, published November 9, 2026, examined 376 individuals who began estrogen or testosterone treatment at a multidisciplinary gender clinic in the United States. Participants were approximately 21 years old on average and had started treatment nearly five years earlier.
Among 372 participants with complete decision-regret scores, 96.8% reported that beginning hormone therapy was the right decision. Only 2.7% expressed regret, while 1.9% reported experiencing harm.
Researchers also found that regret was not associated with the age at which participants began treatment.
Not Everyone Completed the Study
Although the findings suggest overwhelmingly positive experiences among respondents, the researchers acknowledged an important limitation: approximately 40% of eligible individuals did not complete the follow-up survey.
Their experiences remain unknown, meaning the reported satisfaction rate cannot automatically be applied to everyone originally eligible for the research.
The study identified several possible explanations for nonparticipation, including scheduling difficulties, limited time, privacy concerns, and discomfort participating in research involving politically controversial healthcare.
Researchers specifically noted that the current political environment surrounding transgender healthcare may have discouraged some individuals from participating.
Others may have avoided responding because of negative treatment experiences, while individuals with particularly positive experiences may have been more motivated to participate. The researchers could not establish whether either possibility influenced the results.
The study also found that participants assigned male at birth and those who experienced physical gender dysphoria during childhood were less likely to complete the survey.
Stopping Hormones Does Not Necessarily Mean Regret
Another significant finding involved the 65 participants, representing 17.3% of respondents, who were no longer receiving hormone therapy.
Importantly, discontinuing treatment did not automatically indicate dissatisfaction. Among those individuals, approximately 83% still agreed that beginning hormone therapy had been the right decision.
The study did not investigate why these participants stopped treatment.
Possible explanations include changing personal goals, financial difficulties, healthcare restrictions, unwanted effects, or changes in gender identity. However, these remain possibilities rather than confirmed explanations for this particular group.
Researchers also acknowledged that the study involved a single clinic with a predominantly White patient population, potentially limiting how broadly its findings apply.
Despite those limitations, the authors concluded that their results support existing standards of gender-affirming care rather than categorical restrictions on adolescent hormone therapy.
The findings add to growing research suggesting that regret following gender-affirming treatment is uncommon, while highlighting the importance of continued follow-up and understanding the experiences of those who discontinue treatment.
