Meanings attributed to the voice by transgender women in socialization processes.
Tiago José Nunes de Aguiar, Christina César Praça Brasil, Jonas Loiola Gonçalves and 3 others
PMID 42307369WHAT IT FOUND
Trans women described voice as central to gender recognition, with fear and shame when they could not maintain feminine-sounding speech.
A few accepted their voices. SLPs can ask about distress and personal goals rather than assume feminization is desired.
Key findings
01Participants feared their voices would not match the feminine adjustments they made, leading to embarrassment, anxiety, and isolation.
02Many reported shame when forcing a feminine voice they did not identify with, feeling like caricatures.
03A smaller number accepted their voices without discomfort tied to gender expression.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only 13 trans women from two services in Fortaleza were recruited through snowball sampling, so the themes may not represent all trans women. The focus groups were virtual, which may have reduced interaction, and participants did not review or ratify the analysis. Many participants were adults who had already had voice surgery or speech-language pathology care, so findings may not apply to younger or untreated trans women.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat this study as evidence that speech therapy or surgery improves voice-related distress. It reports meanings and experiences from trans women, not tested outcomes.