About this Research Topic
The term transgender refers to the experience of an individual who does perceive the respective gender as not matching the sex they were genetically assigned at birth. There is an increasing number of individuals identifying as transgender, which represents a global health concern and controversy, especially related to a recognizable vulnerability and increased risk of experiencing health disparities in this population.
Transgender people often delay or avoid access to health care due to different factors: mistreatment, inexperience or mistrust of healthcare providers, lack of access to health or employment and dysphoria associated with a physical examination. In addition, the transgender community suffers from significant social discrimination which is linked to psychological comorbidities, as affective and anxiety disorders, higher rates of substances abuse and suicidal behavior.
In adults, gender-affirming hormone therapy induces secondary sexual characteristics matching with the person’s gender identity but requires a cohesive multidisciplinary approach to confirm gender incongruence diagnosis before its initiation, in which endocrinologists play a key role.
After a legitimate, informed patient decision and consent and a clear understanding of the risks and benefits of hormone treatment, transgender people should be followed continuously seeking an individual treatment plan, which includes screening for conditions before hormone therapy is initiated, different modalities of hormone therapy, fertility preservation strategies, and safety concerns during follow-up.
Although a growing recognition of its importance, research on transgender health represents a scarce part of published clinical research worldwide. As a result, there is insufficient evidence to support best practices and an urgent need to explore long-term outcomes of hormone therapy and future therapeutic options for this population.
This Research Topic aims to explore new insights in the field of transgender health with the goal of discussing relevant resources and research advances in transgender health practices. Potential themes include, but are not limited to:
- Cross-sex hormone therapy strategies and outcomes;
- Impact of hormonal therapy on reproduction, bone and cardiovascular health of transgender people;
- Interpretation of sex-specific reference intervals in laboratory tests used in endocrine measurements for transgender people;
- Cancer prevention, screening and treatment in transgender individuals;
- Management of endocrine disorders in transgender people.
Transgender people often delay or avoid access to health care due to different factors: mistreatment, inexperience or mistrust of healthcare providers, lack of access to health or employment and dysphoria associated with a physical examination. In addition, the transgender community suffers from significant social discrimination which is linked to psychological comorbidities, as affective and anxiety disorders, higher rates of substances abuse and suicidal behavior.
In adults, gender-affirming hormone therapy induces secondary sexual characteristics matching with the person’s gender identity but requires a cohesive multidisciplinary approach to confirm gender incongruence diagnosis before its initiation, in which endocrinologists play a key role.
After a legitimate, informed patient decision and consent and a clear understanding of the risks and benefits of hormone treatment, transgender people should be followed continuously seeking an individual treatment plan, which includes screening for conditions before hormone therapy is initiated, different modalities of hormone therapy, fertility preservation strategies, and safety concerns during follow-up.
Although a growing recognition of its importance, research on transgender health represents a scarce part of published clinical research worldwide. As a result, there is insufficient evidence to support best practices and an urgent need to explore long-term outcomes of hormone therapy and future therapeutic options for this population.
This Research Topic aims to explore new insights in the field of transgender health with the goal of discussing relevant resources and research advances in transgender health practices. Potential themes include, but are not limited to:
- Cross-sex hormone therapy strategies and outcomes;
- Impact of hormonal therapy on reproduction, bone and cardiovascular health of transgender people;
- Interpretation of sex-specific reference intervals in laboratory tests used in endocrine measurements for transgender people;
- Cancer prevention, screening and treatment in transgender individuals;
- Management of endocrine disorders in transgender people.
Keywords: transgender, gender identity, human rights, gender dysphoria, sexual and gender minorities, transexualism, hormone therapy, endocrine disorders
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