Puberty blocking and fertility
When asked whether a transgender man who had undergone puberty blocking before transitioning (i.e., someone who had not gone through natural puberty) would be able to follow a similar course to pregnancy as the study participants, Dr. Resetkova acknowledged that is a more challenging area.
“We have little data so it’s hard to be conclusive, but it’s unlikely these patients would have mature hormonal responses and the ovaries might be in a naive state,” she hypothesized. “I don’t know that they would retain so many options as someone who had gone through natural puberty.”
“However, there are research protocols in place at some academic institutions for transgender patients planning to undergo puberty blocking,” she observed.
Finally, referring to individuals who transition from male to female using estrogen therapy, Dr. Resetkova said that the quality of sperm production might be impaired with long-term estrogen exposure. She added that other centers are looking at this.
“As transgender individuals increasingly seek access to reproductive services, we seek to shed light on the optimal way to provide effective care to these patients,” Dr. Dr. Resetkova and colleagues conclude.
Dr. Resetkova has reported no relevant financial relationships.
This article first appeared on Medscape.com.
SOURCE: Resetkova N et al. Fertil Steril. 2019;112:858-65.