Bridging the evidence gap in gender‐affirming care: urgent research needs

Gender‐affirming care has emerged as a critical component of healthcare, addressing the specific medical and psychosocial needs of transgender and non‐binary individuals. In this review article, we address what we see as the most pressing evidence gaps in the gender health literature: long‐term effects of pubertal blockers and gender‐affirming hormone therapy and the lack of standardised outcome measures of gender‐affirming care. Substantial uncertainties persist regarding long‐term effects of hormone therapy and the implications of gender‐affirming therapy on cancer risk. Though there is some uncertainty about the long‐term effects of gender‐affirming medical therapy, providers must also consider the potential negative consequences of prolonging a dysphoric experience. Additionally, there is a dearth of validated measures for patient‐reported outcomes and a lack of standardisation in the reporting of data that is detrimental to the progress of understanding the impacts of gender‐affirming care.