Academic Journal
Experiences of autistic transgender and gender diverse adults undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy and the influence on occupational identity outcomes.
| Τίτλος: | Experiences of autistic transgender and gender diverse adults undergoing gender-affirming hormone therapy and the influence on occupational identity outcomes. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Miller SL; Department of Occupational Therapy, Monash University Peninsula Campus, Frankston, Victoria, Australia.; Adult Mental Health Services, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia., Bourke-Taylor H; Department of Occupational Therapy, Monash University Peninsula Campus, Frankston, Victoria, Australia., Dixon K; Department of Psychiatry, Monash Health, Frankston and Clayton, Victoria, Australia.; Department of Occupational Therapy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia., Upreti R; Gender Endocrinology Clinic and Reproductive Biology Unit, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.; Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. |
| Πηγή: | Australian occupational therapy journal [Aust Occup Ther J] 2026 Oct; Vol. 73 (5), pp. e70121. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Review |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Blackwell Country of Publication: Australia NLM ID: 15420200R Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1440-1630 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00450766 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Aust Occup Ther J Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Melbourne : Blackwell Original Publication: [Melbourne] Australian Assn. of Occupational Therapists. |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Transgender Persons*/psychology , Autistic Disorder*/psychology , Autistic Disorder*/drug therapy , Gender Identity* , Gender-Affirming Procedures*, Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Female ; Quality of Life ; Gender-Nonconforming Persons ; Young Adult ; Occupational Therapy ; Gender-Affirming Care ; Qualitative Research ; Interviews as Topic |
| Περίληψη: | Introduction: Autistic transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults often report additional barriers to health-care access and occupational participation. Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) consists of hormonal medications a person may choose to take to increase alignment of physical features with their gender identity. Consumer and Community Involvement: This research project was conducted in response to patient and clinician feedback; however, no consumers were involved in the setup or analysis of the study. Methods: Six autistic TGD adults undergoing GAHT at a statewide tertiary gender endocrinology clinic participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews and underwent an Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) assessment. Secondary analysis of qualitative data utilised thematic analysis and triangulation with AASP results through the lens of the doing, being, becoming, belonging framework to understand how autistic TGD adults achieve occupational identity. Results: Autistic TGD adults experienced improved quality of life, mental health, and occupational identity outcomes as a result of GAHT. Being TGD and autistic posed unique challenges for autistic TGD adults in doing tasks associated with GAHT, including navigating health-care and social environments. Gender-affirming physical changes and experiences increased participants' engagement in gendered occupations and roles. Conclusion: For autistic TGD adults who choose to medically transition, GAHT can be an important gender-affirming occupation in enabling occupational identity acquisition. The results of this study highlight a role for occupational therapists within gender-affirming care settings to enhance patient care. (© 2026 The Author(s). Australian Occupational Therapy Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Occupational Therapy Australia.) |
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| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Autis*; gender affirming care; gender affirming hormone therapy; medication compliance; occupational therapy; transgender Local Abstract: [plain-language-summary] Trans and gender diverse (TGD) refers to individuals who identify with a gender that differs from their sex assigned at birth. This includes trans men (people assigned female at birth who identify as men) and trans women (people assigned male at birth who identify as women), as well as other gender identities such as non‐binary (people assigned male or female at birth whose gender identity exists outside of the typical gender binary) and agender (people who do not identify as having a gender). Many TGD adults desire either masculinising or feminising gender‐affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) to help align their physical characteristics with their identified gender. There is a well‐recognised link between autism and gender diversity; however, there is limited understanding of the experiences of autistic TGD individuals on GAHT. This study is a detailed analysis of interviews and sensory profile results from six autistic TGD adults currently on GAHT. We show that autistic TGD adults experience unique challenges related to taking GAHT as prescribed, as a result of sensory processing and executive function difficulties, societal stigma, and often fragmented care. Physical changes with GAHT increased participants' engagement in occupations and roles typically associated with their gender and affirmed their sense of identity and belonging. Our study demonstrates that accessing gender‐affirming care and taking GAHT are gender‐affirming occupations for many autistic TGD individuals. Providing autistic TGD adults with access to occupational therapy input may improve their occupational outcomes on GAHT. |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260909 Date Completed: 20260909 Latest Revision: 20261008 |
| Update Code: | 20261009 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13554288 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/1440-1630.70121 |
| PMID: | 42711810 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
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