This story is from the comments listed below, summarised by AI.
Authenticity Assessment: Not Suspicious
Based on the provided comments, the account appears to be authentic. There are no serious red flags suggesting it is a bot or a bad-faith actor.
The user consistently identifies as a clinical psychologist ("Dr Kirsty Entwistle") who is researching the topic, not as a detransitioner. This stated identity is credible based on the language used, the nature of the advice given (suggesting coping strategies, directing to academic studies), and the professional disclosure in the final comment. The comments show a long-term, consistent focus on providing resources and a nuanced, empathetic understanding of the subject matter over several years.
About me
I am a clinical psychologist who joined these forums out of professional concern after seeing too many rushed medical transitions. I've learned that many people transitioned due to issues like internalized homophobia or trauma that were never properly explored. I now see people facing serious health problems and legal nightmares from irreversible changes they now regret. My own view is that we need a much more cautious approach that supports gender-nonconforming people without immediately medicalizing their distress. Today, I support detransitioners directly and advocate for better research and care so we don't fail more young people.
My detransition story
My name is Kirsty, and I’m a clinical psychologist. I’ve spent a lot of time in online detransition support communities, not as someone who has detransitioned myself, but as a professional trying to understand the broader context and to offer support where I can. My journey here started from a place of deep professional concern.
Over the years, I've read countless stories from detransitioners. I’ve seen a common thread of people struggling with profound issues that weren't properly addressed before they medically transitioned. I’ve heard from people who felt their internalised homophobia—the difficulty in accepting themselves as a masculine woman or a feminine man—was a major factor in their decision to transition. Many have talked about the intense discomfort they felt during puberty, a feeling that was quickly interpreted as gender dysphoria without much deeper investigation.
I’ve spoken with people who had serious health complications from hormones, like blood clots, and others who are now infertile and are grieving that loss. I’ve tried to help people who are stuck with legal documents, like a changed birth certificate from a Gender Recognition Certificate, that they now can’t reverse to reflect their birth sex. It’s a heartbreaking bureaucratic nightmare that adds to their pain.
My own thoughts on gender have evolved through this work. I believe we need a much more cautious approach. It feels like society has lost the ability to support gender-nonconforming people without immediately medicalising their distress. I’ve seen how influential online communities and friends can be in pushing someone towards transition, and how rarely other underlying issues like trauma, autism, OCD, or depression are thoroughly explored first.
While I haven't personally transitioned and therefore don't have regrets in that sense, I deeply regret, on a societal level, that we have failed so many young people. I regret that the systems meant to care for them did not provide adequate non-affirming therapy to help them work through their issues before they made permanent changes to their bodies.
My role now is to support those who are detransitioning and to advocate for better research and better care. I run a website for the Detrans Foundation, compiling resources and studies, and I work directly with patients who are navigating this difficult path. I also try to encourage people to report their adverse effects to independent organisations like RxISK, so we can better understand the long-term impacts of these medical interventions.
Here is a timeline of my involvement based on my comments:
| My Age | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| (Not stated) | 2019-11-14 | I expressed caution to a filmmaker, suggesting they look into why detransition stories are often met with hostility. |
| (Not stated) | 2019-12-28 | I shared a detransitioner's video I found on YouTube, noting her complexity and resilience. |
| (Not stated) | 2020-01-15 | I valued reading a detransitioner's story, hoping for more acceptance of masculine women and feminine men. |
| (Not stated) | 2020-01-18 | I commented on an interview with a detransitioner, noting how factors like internalised homophobia were discussed. |
| (Not stated) | 2020-01-31 | I shared videos from other people who had stopped testosterone after many years. |
| (Not stated) | 2020-02-06 | I suggested someone contact a specific organisation and report side effects to RxISK. |
| (Not stated) | 2020-02-12 | I offered psychological advice to someone struggling with body image, suggesting they limit mirror time. |
| (Not stated) | 2020-02-22 | I advised someone considering breast implants after mastectomy to work through their feelings first. |
| (Not stated) | 2020-05-03 | I encouraged someone who suffered health complications from HRT to file a report with RxISK. |
| (Not stated) | 2020-05-10 | I critiqued the lack of interrogation into the validity of the Gender Dysphoria diagnosis. |
| (Not stated) | 2020-05-25 | I again encouraged reporting adverse effects to RxISK to help identify patterns. |
| (Not stated) | 2022-09-26 | I explained the problem with the UK's Gender Recognition Certificate for detransitioners. |
| (Not stated) | 2022-10-31 | I offered practical advice on navigating legal gender changes with HMRC in the UK. |
| (Not stated) | 2023-09-25 | I shared a resource for Spanish-speaking detransitioners and updated a list of academic studies. |
| (Not stated) | 2024-05-25 | I shared recent medical case studies on cancer and pelvic floor dysfunction in transgender men. |
| (Not stated) | 2024-11-22 | I identified myself as the psychologist who responds to enquiries for the Detrans Foundation. |
| (Not stated) | 2025-04-15 | I confirmed my role as a clinical psychologist working with detransitioners and my liaison with the NHS. |
Top Comments by /u/kirsty_e:
Its the Gender Recognition Certificate - a UK legal process that enables someone who has a diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria to change their birth certificate. The problem is that it appears to be virtually impossible for a detrans person to have their birth sex restored legally. So, for example, a detrans female who went through the GRC process is stuck with male on her birth certificate.
Yes, I'm a Clinical Psychologist who works with people who are detransitioning and I received the email from NHS England as I'm on their email list for any updates on NHS gender services. I've also met with the person who is carrying out the interviews to give her my perspective as a clinician. She assured me that at this stage she is the only person who is doing the interviews and she is very keen to hear from people who are detransitioning or have detransitioned.
There's a case study that was published in April 2024 Endometrial Cancer in a Transgender Man with Prolonged Exoge... : Obstetrics & Gynecology (lww.com)
Another recent case study of a patient with cervical cancer: Cervical cancer in a transgender man: lessons learnt to improve care - PubMed (nih.gov)
Not about cancer but there was also this recent article on pelvic floor dysfunction Pelvic Floor Dysfunction in Transgender Men on Gender-affirming Hormone Therapy: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study - PubMed (nih.gov)
A 2018 review Breast and reproductive cancers in the transgender population: a systematic review - PubMed (nih.gov)
I need to update it but there is a list of academic studies on detransition on our Detrans Foundation website. Hall et al. (2021) study has good quality data https://www.detransfoundation.com/detrans-resources.html
The Reuters article on detransition also has some links to different studies at the end of the article https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-transyouth-outcomes/
Hello, thank you for trying to get in touch. I'm the psychologist who responds to the enquiries to the Detrans Foundation website. I just tested the submit button and it worked for me. If it definitely isn't working for you then you can contact me on my personal website and I'll respond that way. Best Wishes, Kirsty (Dr Kirsty Entwistle, Clinical Psychologist)
Sorry for not being clear - I posted this but I didn't make this video. I just watched it on youtube yesterday and thought to share it here. I'm a psychologist and I thought this person's testimony was really interesting and with a lot of complexity to it and was wondering what other people's thoughts were. I was wondering why she didn't change her name legally when it created so much anxiety. And I thought it was interesting that she was sick of binding after ten years and at the same times was grateful she never had [mastectomy]. She seems in pretty early days, I wonder if she will continue to detransition. She seems like she has a lot to unpack and work through but also seems resilient and a very likeable person, so seems likely she will have people to support her.
I'm so sorry to hear what happened to you. You don't say how long ago this was but I hope that your recovery is going ok. I hope you will consider filing a report with this independent organisation RxISK on the effects that HRT had on you. As far as I'm aware they are the only organisation that is trying to compile the long term effects of cross sex hormones. You can see on their website who is on their team and other projects they have undertaken. https://rxisk.org/transgender-meds-a-call-for-reports/
I hope you will consider filing a report with RxISK. They are an independent organisation who look into 'good, bad and strange' effects of different kinds of medications. At the moment they are doing an investigation into puberty blockers and cross sex hormones. Making a report will help to find out whether there are patterns or common associations between hormone medications and adverse effects.
I'm not trans or detrans so have no personal experience to offer but I'm aware of these videos by people who stopped testosterone after several years...
Have you seen Laura Reynold's video? She says she was on (and off) testosterone for 5 years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj06DI3gUrE
and Wheston Chancellor Grove stopped after 14 years https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwf39QW8Th4
Good luck!
Hi Billy, I have to say that I don't get the impression from your message that you have been researching detransition for a year but I'd be happy for you to correct me otherwise. As joliphotia pointed out to you, detransitioners have good reason to be very cautious about who they share their stories with.
I wonder if you have read about or been following the science journalist Jesse Singal? He has really taken the time to understand the broader context within which detransitioners are framed. You might also see how trans activists have hounded him for doing so. Perhaps your film might be more productive if you were to try to investigate the bigger picture of why trans activists are so dismissive/hostile to the reality of detransitioners?