Transgender persons' view on previous fertility decision-making and current infertility: a qualitative study

STUDY QUESTION
How do adult transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people, who are infertile due to prior gender-affirming treatment, view their current infertility and their reproductive decisions made in the past?

SUMMARY ANSWER
In a time where sterilization was mandatory, transgender adolescents prioritized gender-affirming treatment over their future fertility and would make the same choice today despite emotional challenges related to infertility experienced by some.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Under transgender law in the Netherlands, sterilization was required for legal gender recognition until 2014, resulting in permanent infertility. The long-term consequences of this iatrogenic infertility in transgender adolescents who have now reached adulthood remain underexplored.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
Qualitative study design based on 21 in-depth one-on-one semi-structured interviews.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
TGD people in a stage of life where family planning may be a current topic were eligible for participation. They all received gender-affirming treatment in adolescence prior to the legislation change in 2014. A purposeful sampling technique was used from participants of another ongoing study. Eleven people assigned female at birth and ten people assigned male at birth were included. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed using a modified version of Braun and Clarke’s six steps theory.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
Six main themes were generated: (i) personal considerations regarding fertility and fertility preservation in the past; (ii) external considerations regarding fertility and fertility preservation in the past; (iii) current vision on past considerations and decisions; (iv) Current experiences and coping with infertility; (v) future family building; (vi) advice regarding fertility and fertility preservation decision-making.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
Selection, recall, and choice supportive bias may play a role in interpreting our results.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
This study highlights the importance of tailored counselling and comprehensive information on fertility preservation for transgender individuals, especially adolescents, undergoing gender-affirming treatment.