Keywords: HRT, GAHT, testosterone, transgender, research design

Background: The World Professional Association for Transgender Health provides practice standards for GAHT-T, but empirical evidence remains scarce regarding the efficacies of diverse testosterone regimens, especially considering the diverse goals of the patients. These guidelines offer limited direction on individualized treatment, often prescribing a uniform approach for a population with varied gender transition goals.

Objective: Our study aims to address this gap by understanding patients’ goals and experiences, ultimately informing tailored treatment regimens.

Methods: Our team developed a comprehensive survey, drawing from extensive clinical experience. These questions are currently being reviewed by the UCLA Gender Health Program’s Community Advisory Board in an effort to maximize inclusivity and accuracy of language for a community so frequently excluded from both common and medical conversations. The survey will be distributed primarily through social networks designed for gender-expansive individuals seeking treatment with testosterone. Data analysis will begin once data collection is completed. The analysis of the data generated in this study will be primarily descriptive, but basic cross-tabs, t-tests, and other exploratory comparisons will be used. 

Results: This exploratory survey covers essential themes, including demographics, transition history, barriers to access, treatment goals and priorities, experiences with various birth control methods, and future research priorities. The questionnaire will determine the extent to which a wide variance is seen in goals and transition experiences, particularly in testosterone treatment goals. Demonstration of variance will serve as the foundation for further research into tailoring and ultimately improving the efficacy of gender-affirming treatments using testosterone.

Conclusion: Our study delves into the multifaceted landscape of gender-affirming hormone therapies with testosterone. By understanding patients’ goals and experiences, we seek to enhance their access to and utilization of these therapies. We hope our findings will elucidate any differences in experiences within racial/ethnic groups, guide provider counseling when patients are navigating GAHT-T, and highlight essential research questions grounded in the needs and priorities of community stakeholders.