Testosterone therapy significantly decreases gender dysphoria, depression, and suicidality in transgender and gender-diverse individuals desiring testosterone therapy.
This is according to a study – “Early Access to Testosterone Therapy in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adults Seeking Masculinization A Randomized Clinical Trial” by Brendan J. Nolan, Sav Zwickl, Peter Locke, et al – that appeared in JAMA Network Open.
A three-month open-label randomized clinical trial was conducted at endocrinology outpatient clinics and primary care clinics specializing in transgender and gender-diverse health in Melbourne, Australia, from November 1, 2021, to July 22, 2022. Participants included transgender and gender-diverse adults aged 18 to 70 years seeking initiation of testosterone therapy.
This study found that – compared with those receiving only standard care – those who received intervention/s had a decrease in gender dysphoria, a clinically significant decrease in depression, and a significant decrease in suicidality.
Resolution of suicidality assessed by PHQ-9 item 9 occurred in 11 individuals (52%) with immediate testosterone commencement compared with one (1 or 5%) receiving standard care.
Seven individuals reported injection site pain/discomfort and one individual reported a transient headache 24 hours following intramuscular administration of testosterone undecanoate. No individual developed polycythemia.
For the researchers, among transgender and gender-diverse adults, “immediate testosterone compared with no treatment significantly reduced gender dysphoria, depression, and suicidality in transgender and gender-diverse individuals desiring testosterone therapy.”
