by European Society of Endocrinology

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

New evidence shows that people who have undergone gender-affirming hormone therapy report high grades of satisfaction with both the physical and psychological effects. A new study on this topic, carried out by researchers in Portugal, was presented on May 21 at the 24th European Congress of Endocrinology in Milan, Italy.

Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) aims to align the characteristics of an individual with their gender identity. Typically, this means altering a person's hormone levels to match their gender identity. Dr. Miguel

Saraiva and team at the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto—Hospital de Santo António wanted to understand to what degree this type of therapy impacts the lives of those affected. To this end, the team conducted a cross-sectional study in March 2021, collecting data via an online questionnaire. This
questionnaire was distributed to adults living in Portugal who had undergone GAHT for at least one year.

The high score was consistent across several metrics and shows that GAHT positively influences self-esteem, well-being, and social/familial relationships in the Portuguese adult transgender population. GAHT similarly appears to reduce suicidal ideation, having a significant impact on the quality of life of the people who benefit from it.

"The well-being of transgender patients is very important, and we are happy to document the very positive result of gender-affirming hormone therapy on the Portuguese transgender population," concluded Dr. Saraiva.

More information: 24th European Congress of Endocrinology

Provided by European Society of Endocrinology