Study shows access to gender-affirming vaginoplasty improved quality of life for transfeminine patients

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A recent study finds that transfeminine people 18 years and older report significant benefits across multiple metrics 12 months after the procedure.

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Welcome to Health Lab, your destination for news and stories about the future of healthcare. 

Today: A new study shows improved quality of life for transfeminine adults after undergoing gender-affirming vaginoplasties.

The study finds that transfeminine people 18 years and older report significant benefits 12 months post procedure.

Gender-affirming vaginoplasty is a common gender-affirming surgery sought by transfeminine people.

A research team at University of Michigan Health led by Dr. Caleb Haley, M.D., used data from University of Michigan Health from between September of 2018 and February of 2023 to gain a better understanding of the experiences of people who undergo this procedure.

The study, published in the Annals of Surgery, had inclusion criteria that required individuals to be aged 18 years of age or older, be English-speaking, and to meet the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, also known as WPATH, standards of care surgical criteria.

Researchers gathered responses from 48 participants, and used several metrics to measure their physical and psychosocial well being.

These included measures for depression, anxiety, body image, genital satisfaction, psychosocial functioning, pain, and sexual function.

Questionnaires were answered by participants preoperatively, three months postoperatively, and 12 months postoperatively.

Following gender-affirming vaginoplasty, transfeminine individuals reported significant improvements regarding their physical and mental health, their body image, and their psychosocial functioning.

While minor complications following this procedure were common, they did not negatively impact the patients’ individual outcomes.

Overall, this study shows that gender-affirming vaginoplasty is associated with significant quality of life improvements, highlighting the importance of ensuring access to this procedure for transfeminine people.

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