Different measures of fundamental frequency and vocal satisfaction among transgender men and women.
Diego Henrique da Cruz Martinho, Eric Rodrigues Dias, Ana Carolina Constantini
PMID 39879427WHAT IT FOUND
For transgender men, no acoustic measure correlated with voice satisfaction.
For transgender women, only higher maximum pitch during counting linked to better satisfaction. Mean pitch alone did not predict how satisfied either group was with their voice.
Key findings
01No significant difference was found between transgender men and women in any acoustic measure or total voice satisfaction score.
02For transgender women, a moderate negative correlation existed between maximum fundamental frequency during number counting and voice satisfaction scores.
03Transgender men reported dissatisfaction with their voice, but no acoustic measure correlated with their satisfaction scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size is very small (18 participants), limiting the ability to detect true effects or generalize findings. The study used a convenience sample recruited via social media, which may not represent the broader transgender population. The Transgender Woman Voice Questionnaire (TWVQ) was adapted for trans men but has not been validated for this population. Health status and voice use history were self-reported without otorhinolaryngological evaluation. Automatic speech was limited to counting numbers, which may not reflect daily communicative patterns.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), a Brazilian government agency. No conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the single significant correlation in trans women as proof that increasing pitch variability causes satisfaction. The sample is extremely small, the finding is exploratory, and no such relationship was found in trans men. Additionally, do not assume that achieving a specific mean fundamental frequency will resolve vocal dissatisfaction, as most participants remained dissatisfied despite having mean frequencies within expected gender ranges.