Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Apr;9(7):613.
doi: 10.21037/atm-20-4523.

Systematic review of fertility preservation options in transgender patients: a guide for plastic surgeons

Maria Yan  1 , Samyd S Bustos  1   2 , Doga Kuruoglu  1   2 , Pedro Ciudad  3 , Antonio J Forte  4 , Esther A Kim  5 , Gabriel Del Corral  6 , Oscar J Manrique  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Systematic review of fertility preservation options in transgender patients: a guide for plastic surgeons

Maria Yan et al. Ann Transl Med. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

Transgender patients often desire to have biological children. However, their reproductive potential is often negatively impacted by gender affirming surgery (GAS) such as gender confirmation surgery (bottom surgery) and medical hormone therapy. Therefore, counselling patients on fertility preservation options before initiating gender-affirming treatments is prudent to avoid reducing their reproductive potential. A systematic review of English, Spanish, Chinese, French and Turkish languages from 2000 to December 23rd, 2019, using the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines, was conducted. The search strategy was designed and conducted by an experienced librarian with input from the study's principle investigator. Fifteen articles that report outcomes of fertility preservation options in transgenders were included. Eight articles described options for transgender women, six reported options for transgender men and one included both transgender women and transgender men. Semen cryopreservation and oocyte cryopreservation are the most common and available methods for fertility preservation in transgenders. Physician awareness of fertility preservation options in transgender patients is crucial to ensure informed discussions regarding reproductive options in the early phase of transition.

Keywords: Fertility preservation; fertilization; plastic surgery; reproductive techniques; transgender persons.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/atm-20-4523). The series “Transgender Surgery” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. OJM served as the unpaid Guest Editor of the series. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flowchart.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Byne W, Bradley SJ, Coleman E, et al. Report of the American psychiatric association task force on treatment of gender identity disorder. Arch Sex Behav 2012;41:759-96. 10.1007/s10508-012-9975-x - DOI - PubMed
    1. Flores AR, Herman JL, Gates GJ, et al. How Many Adults Identify As Transgender in the United States? Los Angeles, CA: Williams Inst, 2016.
    1. Adeleye AJ, Reid G, Kao CN, et al. Semen Parameters Among Transgender Women With a History of Hormonal Treatment. Urology 2019. Feb;124:136-41. 10.1016/j.urology.2018.10.005 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Adeleye AJ, Cedars MI, Smith J, et al. Ovarian stimulation for fertility preservation or family building in a cohort of transgender men. J Assist Reprod Genet 2019;36:2155-61. 10.1007/s10815-019-01558-y - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gorin-Lazard A, Baumstarck K, Boyer L, et al. Hormonal therapy is associated with better self-esteem, mood, and quality of life in transsexuals. J Nerv Ment Dis 2013;201:996-1000. 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000046 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources