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Fertility and Fertility Preservation in Transmasculine Individuals

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Reproduction in Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals

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Abstract

This chapter aims to update readers on recent evidence in order to counsel and guide clinical management of transmasculine individuals seeking current or future fertility. Throughout our discussion “transmasculine” will be used to describe transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) people who were assigned female at birth. While controlled ovarian stimulation for oocyte or embryo cryopreservation is the standard of care for transmasculine patients who desire future genetic parenthood, unique considerations must be made in this population. Recent literature has highlighted the ability of transmasculine people to have viable oocytes and pregnancies despite a history of testosterone use, suggesting that the window of genetic parentage does not close with the start of gender-affirming hormonal treatment. Additionally, mature oocytes are able to be retrieved from pre-menarchal adolescents, as well as in individuals who choose not to discontinue their testosterone. Research is rapidly evolving though many questions remain unanswered. While clinical studies are still limited and long-term outcomes of androgen exposure on fertility are not known, currently available data are reassuring thus far.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Brett Stark & Evelyn Mok-Lin

  2. Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Viji Sundaram

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  1. Brett Stark
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  2. Viji Sundaram
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  3. Evelyn Mok-Lin
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Correspondence to Evelyn Mok-Lin .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Molly B. Moravek

  2. Obstetrics and Gynecology, Northwest Permanente, Portland, OR, USA

    Gene de Haan

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Stark, B., Sundaram, V., Mok-Lin, E. (2023). Fertility and Fertility Preservation in Transmasculine Individuals. In: Moravek, M.B., de Haan, G. (eds) Reproduction in Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14933-7_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14933-7_4

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