Study: Sperm production may be possible in transgenders

Researchers have reported two cases in which young transgender women attempted to recover their fertility after stopping gender-affirming medications. The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that one transgender woman was able to produce viable sperm after a few months of discontinuing her puberty-halting medication whereas a different patient on hormone therapy could not produce sperm during the time she could psychologically tolerate being off her medication.

"We were interested in examining the timeline for getting viable sperm after stopping masculinity-suppressing medication," said lead author Hanna Valli-Pulaski, Assistant Professor at Magee-Womens Research Institute.

"Going on and off gender-affirming medications can cause psychological distress in this population and it's important patients have a discussion with their health care provider before starting or stopping any treatment," Valli-Pulaski added.

For the study, the research team examined medical records of two transgender women who tried to preserve their sperm after stopping hormone therapy and compared their semen quality against eight other transgender women who elected to preserve their sperm before beginning therapy.

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