There is no standardisation of guidelines for counselling transgender men about fertility preservation options when seeking gender-affirmative treatment, a review has flagged.
'Fertility preservation is important to discuss with patients prior to beginning gender-affirming interventions like hysterectomy and removal of ovaries, which result in irreversible infertility,' said Dr Juana Hutchinson-Colas, a coauthor of the study published in Fertility and Sterility Reports.
The study authors make the recommendation that trans men seeking gender-affirmative treatment should be counselled on fertility preservation, the effects of testosterone therapy on fertility, contraception, and potential barriers to having children, as well as being encouraged to explore their own attitudes towards having a family before starting treatment.
Last month the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists published draft guidelines on improving care for trans and gender diverse people accessing health services (see BioNews 1152).
