P-06-15 Efficacy of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonists in the Clinical Management of Adolescents With Gender Dysphoria: A Prospective Follow-UP Study

Abstract

Current guidelines recommend the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHas) as the treatment of choice to suppress puberty in adolescents with Gender Incongruence/Gender Dysphoria (GI/GD). The onset of the pubertal physical changes in transgender youth usually leads to a worsening of GD, distress and psychological functioning. GnRHas reduce suffering caused by pubertal development, leaving the body in a neutral state and allowing these adolescents to explore their gender identity. The aim of the present study is to compare psychological functioning before and after GnRHas treatment in a sample of adolescents with GD assessed at the Florence Gender Incongruence Unit and to demonstrate that GnRHas are effective in relieving distress caused by the development of secondary sex characteristics. Fourteen gender dysphoric adolescents were evaluated at 0, 3 and 6 months after the start of GnRHas (triptorelin 3,75 mg every 28 days). The evaluation included physical examination, blood samples and psychometric tests, such as: Youth Self Report (YSR) to measure psychological functioning; Multi-Attitude Suicide Tendency Scale (MAST) to define suicide risk; Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to evaluate depressive symptoms.