Single hospital study finds transgender teenagers rarely choose to discontinue hormone therapy

A 3-year-long retrospective cohort examine of a single Atlanta hospital’s affected person inhabitants discovered transgender and gender-diverse youngsters hardly ever selected to discontinue gender-affirming hormone remedy, based on a examine being introduced Sunday at ENDO 2023, the Endocrine Society’s annual assembly in Chicago, In poor health.

Amongst 82 transgender and gender-diverse adolescents handled at an educational pediatric endocrinology middle from starting of 2016 to finish of 2018, solely three selected to halt gender-affirming hormone remedy. None of them resumed figuring out as their assigned intercourse at delivery. One participant stopped hormonal remedy as a consequence of insurance coverage points, one participant stopped therapy briefly to conceive a child, and one stopped testosterone to transition to a nonbinary gender.

“Within the rare circumstances during which an individual discontinues their gender-affirming hormone remedy, it’s usually as a consequence of exterior components versus true retransitioning to the intercourse assigned at delivery,” stated lead researcher Pranav Gupta, M.D., a fellow at Emory College in Atlanta, Ga. “This analysis could assist handle questions by the households as to what components might result in discontinuation of gender-affirming hormones sooner or later until extra strong information is accessible.”

Feminizing or masculinizing hormone remedy might help transgender and gender-diverse adolescents to affirm their gender identification and keep away from the misery of experiencing puberty in a method that doesn’t match their gender identification. Whereas gender-affirming hormone remedy has been related to improved high quality of life and well-being, the incidence of discontinuation of the remedy and the explanations for discontinuation are usually not well-known, Gupta stated.

The researchers reviewed 263 adolescents recognized with gender dysphoria (sturdy, persistent emotions of identification with one other gender and discomfort with one’s personal assigned gender and intercourse) who had been seen on the pediatric endocrinology clinic between 2016 and 2019. Out of those teenagers, solely 82 (31.2%) had been prescribed hormones (estradiol or testosterone). The group prescribed hormone remedy included 36 (43.9%) transgender ladies, 45 (54.9%) transgender boys, and 1 (1.2%) nonbinary adolescent.

Along with retrospective evaluate, those that had been misplaced to observe up or referred to grownup endocrinologists had been contacted. Out of 21 eligible contributors, 14 had been capable of be contacted and solely three contributors had discontinued remedy. No participant re-transitioned to the gender of intercourse assigned at delivery. Seven sufferers had been unable to be contacted.

“Solely a small proportion of gender-diverse adolescents resolve to pursue gender affirming hormone remedy. In the event that they do, certified pediatric suppliers ought to prescribe remedy in accordance with the established Endocrine Society pointers, given the adolescent needing remedy meets the analysis of gender dysphoria, offers assent, has parental consent and has gone by way of puberty,” Gupta stated.

A associated examine was revealed within the Society’s Journal of Medical Endocrinology & Metabolism.