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Self‐perception of voice in transgender persons during cross‐sex hormone therapy
Author(s) -
Bultynck Charlotte,
Pas Charlotte,
Defreyne Justine,
Cosyns Marjan,
den Heijer Martin,
T'Sjoen Guy
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1002/lary.26716
Subject(s) - psychosocial , testosterone (patch) , perception , psychology , transgender , hormone therapy , anxiety , medicine , audiology , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , psychotherapist , psychiatry , cancer , neuroscience , breast cancer , psychoanalysis
Objective Self‐perception of voice has a significant psychosocial impact on transgender persons. Research about the evolution of self‐perception of voice during cross‐sex hormone therapy (CSHT) is lacking. The aim of this study was to examine if self‐perception of voice changes during CSHT, and if a change of serum testosterone levels as a result of CSHT can predict a change of self‐perception of voice. Study Design Prospective longitudinal study. Methods The Transsexual Voice Questionnaire (TVQ), consisting of three factors—anxiety and avoidance (AA), gender identity (GI), and voice quality (VQ)—was used. Transgender persons completed the TVQ at baseline (80 trans men and 103 trans women), after 3 and 12 months of CSHT follow‐up. Results Trans men: From 0 to 3 months, 0 to 12 months, and 3 to 2 months of CSHT, the AA and GI scores improved. From 0 to 3 months of CSHT, the increasing testosterone level was predictive for the improvements of AA and GI scores. Trans women: From 0 to 3 months, the GI score improved. From 0 to 12 months, the AA, GI, and VQ scores improved. Improvements of self‐perception of voice could not be predicted by changing serum testosterone levels. Conclusion During CSHT, self‐perception of voice improves in both trans men and trans women. In trans men only, the improving self‐perception of voice during the first 3 months can be attributed to the CSHT. For trans women, this study supports that testosterone has acted irreversibly virializing to the voice before CSHT, if they already went through male puberty. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope , 127:2796–2804, 2017