The Impact of Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy on Pain In Gender Minority Adults
University of Kansas Medical Center
Summary
TRANSPIRE is an observational study of \~200 individuals who (1) will be initiating gender-affirming hormone therapy (GHT) or (2) are gender minority individuals who do not use GHT. The primary outcome will be to identify how the presence of chronic pain changes overtime with GHT through the use of surveys, quantitative sensory testing (QST), brain MRIs, and qualitative interviews. Following recruitment and consent, participants will complete baseline survey measures and will repeat those measures at 1 months, 3 month, 6 months, and 12 months. QST measures, brain MRIs, and Qualitative Interviews will be offered to participants in cohort (1) and will be completed at baseline and 12 months.
Description
In most chronic pain syndromes there is a 1.5-2 times higher incidence in females compared to males after puberty, which may in part be due to differences in sex hormone levels and receptors and/or other unknown mechanisms related to sex and/or gender. Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GHT) is routinely used in gender minority (GM) persons' gender-affirming medical care. Masculinizing GHT includes the use of testosterone, whereas feminizing GHT includes estrogen and progesterone, often in conjunction with an anti- androgen. In 2011, The Institute of Medicine identified GM adults as an understu…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–50 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Informed consent provided by the participant * Ages 18-50 years * English speaking * GM persons who have been deemed to be an appropriate medical candidate to take gender-affirming hormone therapy for gender incongruence -OR- GM persons who are not taking gender-affirming hormone therapy Aim 2 (QST and MRI) Additional Inclusion Criteria: * GM persons who have been deemed to be an appropriate medical candidate to take gender- affirming hormone therapy for gender incongruence * Stable doses of analgesic medications for at least 30 days prior to screening * Right handed *…
Location
- The University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas City, Kansas