1. The 35–42 % figure is about suicidality, not death.
Many headlines shout that “half of trans people will kill themselves.” The people who have actually lived through transition say this is a distortion. The number usually quoted (35 % or 42 %) refers to lifetime suicidal thoughts or attempts, not completed suicides, and it is still a minority of people. “GD, pre and post treatment have something like 35 % rate of suicidality. So a minority percentage commit suicide, even less are successful in their attempts.” – cavemanben source [citation:017af58b-c6f0-4133-93c3-ba8974e5f934] Treating this minority figure as a certainty harms everyone: it scares parents, pressures teenagers, and hides the fact that the vast majority do not die by suicide.
2. The statistic stays high even after medical transition.
Long-term Swedish research followed people for up to thirty years after full medical transition and found that suicide mortality actually rose after the first decade. Short-term studies—often the ones used to justify puberty blockers or hormones—miss this later increase. “This study also shows that mortality increases sharply after 10 years of follow-up, while most studies that suggest puberty blockers etc., only look at short-term results.” – CoolEmployment5080 source [citation:f2eb122a-7c5d-4698-afa6-d56fd6f318ab] If transition reliably prevented suicide, we would expect the numbers to drop; instead, they remain stubbornly elevated.
3. Underlying mental-health conditions are the bigger driver.
People who have detransitioned often describe arriving at gender clinics with multiple diagnoses—depression, anxiety, trauma, eating disorders—yet the focus quickly narrowed to gender identity alone. “The average trans person has 3 mental-health diagnoses… that could be a major factor in suicide attempts, not being trans itself.” – BigGayThrow-Away source [citation:6658a69d-8543-4673-882d-0f8d71d5ab13] When these deeper issues go unaddressed, distress persists no matter how someone identifies or what medical steps are taken.
4. Fear-based narratives push people toward irreversible decisions.
Parents, teachers, and even doctors sometimes repeat the line “Would you rather have a dead child or a living trans child?” Detransitioners recall how this framing rushed them into medical pathways before they had space to explore non-medical support. “People, children, have been encouraged to transition out of fear of suicide.” – cavemanben source [citation:017af58b-c6f0-4133-93c3-ba8974e5f934] Accurate, calm information—rather than inflated statistics—protects everyone’s right to make thoughtful, well-supported choices.
Conclusion: A clearer, kinder path forward
The evidence shows that suicidality in this population is real but complex, rooted more often in untreated mental-health struggles and social stress than in gender identity itself. The sky-high numbers you hear are usually attempts, not deaths, and they do not fall after medical transition. Understanding this can free you from the false dilemma of “transition or die.” Instead, you can focus on proven, non-medical supports: therapy for co-occurring conditions, building a caring community, and embracing gender non-conformity without pressure to change your body. Your well-being matters, and it can be pursued safely, patiently, and on your own terms.