1. The famous “1 % regret” number is built on shaky ground
The figure most often quoted in the media comes from a long-running Dutch study that followed 6 793 patients. It claims only 0.6 % of trans-women and 0.3 % of trans-men later said they regretted having their gonads removed. Yet the same paper quietly admits that “a large group (36 %) did not return to our clinic after several years of treatment. Therefore, we could have missed … people with regret.” – PurpleKriek source [citation:2cd053af-6b22-430f-9e73-cd5e9cf99f2b] In other words, more than one-third of the people simply disappeared from the records, and anyone who felt regret and stopped coming back was automatically counted as “not regretting.” When a third of your data is missing, the headline number can’t be trusted.

2. Bottom-surgery regret appears far higher than top-surgery regret
Several detransitioners point to newer data showing a wide gap between procedures. “Statistics show the highest rate of regret is consistently [transgender women who underwent bottom surgery] with numbers averaging between 15-40 % … Whereas top surgery only has an average of 1-2 %.” – Pleasant_Planter source [citation:3f9d6fca-4114-4b2b-8014-03fdf23e379a] The more invasive and irreversible the operation, the more often people later say they wish they had chosen a different path.

3. Regret is hidden by narrow definitions and lost contact
Clinics often count only those who formally ask to “undo” the surgery, missing everyone who quietly stops hormones, moves away, or suffers in silence. “The gender clinics are losing track of about 1/3 of their clients after surgery … these people almost certainly have regret and are no longer taking hormones … These people are not being included in the regret studies.” – ukhoneybee source [citation:84a4b42f-3174-4070-a51f-8c4696f9b895] When researchers define “regret” so narrowly, the real level of dissatisfaction stays invisible.

4. The old data come from a stricter era
The celebrated Dutch numbers were gathered between 1972 and 2015, when patients faced years of psychiatric evaluation before surgery. Today’s fast-track model—short assessments, online hormones, and surgery within months—means the old cohort is no guide to current or future regret. “Prior to a few years ago these people went through years of psychiatric evaluation … This isn’t going to be comparable to current … kids who were fast-tracked.” – ukhoneybee source [citation:84a4b42f-3174-4070-a51f-8c4696f9b895]

5. Implausibly low regret compared with other surgeries
Detransitioners often ask why radical genital reconstruction is said to be regretted less often than routine knee replacements. “When more people regret knee replacement surgery than penis amputation … these surprising outcomes should raise red flags.” – NeighborhoodFit2786 source [citation:a00e2f97-6bf7-40fb-b7ed-9f9840534cb7] If the numbers feel too good to be true, they probably are.

Conclusion
Taken together, the stories show that the widely repeated “1 % regret” claim rests on outdated, incomplete, and narrowly defined data. When researchers lose track of a third of their patients and only count the most extreme form of regret, the true picture remains hidden. For anyone questioning their gender, these gaps are a reminder to pause, seek thorough psychological support, and explore non-medical ways—such as therapy, community, and gender non-conformity—to ease distress before considering irreversible steps. Your well-being does not depend on fitting a label or altering your body; it depends on understanding yourself and finding safe, compassionate ways to live authentically.