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Early Effects of Testosterone Initiation on Body Mass Index in Transmasculine Adolescents
Gina M Sequeira1, Kacie Kidd1, Nermeen E El Nokali2
1Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Purpose:
Increasing numbers of transgender youth are receiving hormone therapy in accordance with national and international guidelines. This study sought to determine the effect of testosterone on body mass index (BMI) z-score in transmasculine adolescents at 6 and 12 months after initiation.
Methods:
A retrospective chart review collected anthropomorphic data on transmasculine adolescents, aged 13 to 19 years, before and during testosterone use. These measurements were used to create a linear mixed model to explore the change in BMI z-score after initiating testosterone.
Results:
The increase in BMI z-score in transmasculine adolescents was significantly higher after six months of testosterone use, but there was no significant change between baseline and 12 months.
Conclusions:
Additional study is needed to understand the full short- and long-term impact of testosterone use on BMI z-score in transmasculine adolescents to provide appropriate informed consent and develop interventions to improve health outcomes.
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