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.
Keywords: BMI; Gender-affirming hormone therapy; Transgender youth.
Copyright © 2019 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.