Bone health after early puberty blockers and timely gender hormones in transgender youth
Skeletal effects of early pubertal suppression and peer-concordant puberty timing in transgender and gender diverse youth
This project looks at how starting puberty blockers early and giving gender-affirming hormones by about age 14 affects bone growth in transgender and gender diverse adolescents.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11179439 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will follow early-pubertal transgender and gender diverse youth who started gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (puberty blockers) and then began gender-affirming hormones around age 14. Participants will have detailed bone scans (DXA) and measures of bone geometry and strength taken over three years of hormone therapy. The team will compare bone mass and structure changes over time and look for factors that influence skeletal health. About 30 participants from an existing early-pubertal cohort will be enrolled and followed at regular clinic visits.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are early-pubertal transgender and gender diverse adolescents who started puberty suppression with GnRHa and are receiving or plan to receive gender-affirming hormones by around age 14.
Not a fit: This work may not apply to older adolescents or adults who began hormones much later, or to youth who did not receive early puberty suppression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help clinicians choose the safest timing for puberty suppression and hormones to support healthy bone development in transgender youth.
How similar studies have performed: Prior longitudinal studies focused on starting hormones later (around age 16) and found different bone patterns, but the early-blocker plus peer-concordant hormone timing approach is largely unstudied.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Janet Yi Man — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Lee, Janet Yi Man
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.