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David Reimer

David Reimer was a Canadian man whose childhood became central to a widely cited psychological and medical case about sex reassignment and gender identity.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

David Reimer was a Canadian man whose childhood became central to a widely cited psychological and medical case about sex reassignment and gender identity. After a botched circumcision in infancy, he was raised as a girl under the advice of psychologist John Money, later returned to living as a male, and died by suicide in 2004.

Early life

David Reimer was born male and was one of identical twin boys. In infancy he suffered severe genital injury during a circumcision, which led doctors and his parents to consider sex reassignment.

John/Joan case

Under the guidance of John Money, Reimer was raised as a girl and the case was presented as evidence that gender identity could be shaped by upbringing. The case later became controversial when Reimer’s own experience contradicted those claims.

Later life and public account

As a teenager, Reimer returned to living as a male and later spoke publicly about his experiences. His testimony helped bring broader attention to the harms of the treatment approach used in his case.

Death and legacy

Reimer died by suicide in 2004 at age 38. His story remains widely discussed in psychology, medicine, and bioethics as a cautionary case about consent, transparency, and infant sex reassignment.

Key facts

  • David Reimer was born in Canada in 1965 as Bruce Peter Reimer.
  • He lost much of his penis in infancy after a botched circumcision and was raised as a girl on medical advice.
  • Psychologist John Money used his case to argue that gender identity was primarily learned.
  • Reimer later lived as a man and publicly described the experience as traumatic.
  • His life and death became important in debates over medical ethics and treatment of intersex and sex-development conditions.
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Canadian context

David Reimer was Canadian, and his life is closely associated with Winnipeg, Manitoba. His case is widely referenced in Canadian and international discussions of medical ethics and psychology.

Frequently asked questions

Who was David Reimer?
He was a Canadian man whose childhood sex reassignment became the basis of the controversial John/Joan case.
Why is David Reimer well known?
He became known because his case was used to argue that gender identity is learned, a claim later heavily disputed.
What was the John/Joan case?
It was the name given to the clinical case involving Reimer, presented as evidence for gender reassignment after infancy genital injury.
Did David Reimer accept being raised as a girl?
No. He later rejected the female identity imposed on him and lived as a man.
When did David Reimer die?
He died in 2004 at the age of 38.
Why is his case still discussed?
It is frequently cited in debates about gender identity, infant surgery, informed consent, and medical ethics.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Reimer
    Supports: Birth name, Canadian identity, infant circumcision injury, John/Joan case, later life, and death.
  2. CBC News — https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/man-at-centre-of-controversial-gender-experiment-dies-1.483274
    Supports: Canadian context, raised as a girl after botched circumcision, later restored male identity, marriage, public disclosure, and suicide.
  3. The New York Times — https://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/12/us/david-reimer-38-subject-of-the-john-joan-case.html
    Supports: Death at 38 and identification as subject of the John/Joan case.
  4. PubMed Central — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8089603/
    Supports: Botched circumcision, reassignment to female sex, later transition to male, and suicide.