Transgender men who don't get periods may still need to be using contraception

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-02-23 03:00

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Some transgender men who no longer have periods as a result of their gender-affirming hormone treatment could still be at risk of pregnancy, according to international research. The team looked at the ovaries of 52 trans men after gender-affirming surgery to have them removed - all the participants had been on testosterone therapy and did not have periods before their surgery. The researchers say 33% of the ovaries showed evidence of recent ovulation, which means some of the participants may have still been able to get pregnant before their surgery. The researchers say this shows the importance of contraception for trans men, many of whom can be especially negatively impacted by an unplanned pregnancy.