Publications by authors named "Maria I R Lobato"

Objectives: The aim of this study was to adapt and apply the Portuguese version of the Transgender Man Voice Questionnaire in a sample of Brazilian transgender men and to investigate the relationship between voice satisfaction and hormone therapy duration. In addition, we suggest reducing and reformulating the questionnaire for screening.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 31 transgender men aged 18-50 years undergoing hormone therapy who answered a questionnaire adapted from the Transgender Woman Voice Questionnaire, validated in Portuguese.

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Article Synopsis
  • Understanding how transgender youth cope with stress can help develop strategies to improve their quality of life.
  • The study analyzed 185 Brazilian transgender youth, revealing that better quality of life correlated with social support and that avoidance coping styles were linked to lower quality of life regarding general stress.
  • It found no connection between coping strategies for gender-related stress and quality of life, suggesting that improving gender-related distress may require different approaches beyond just coping skills.
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Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate dropout rates and discern potential factors contributing to the discontinuation of treatment provided to transgender individuals by the Transdisciplinary Gender Identity Program at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (PROTIG).

Methodology: This study employs a descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective design to analyze socio-demographic and clinical data obtained from medical records of patients treated at PROTIG between 2000 and 2018. A structured form, devised by PROTIG's professional team, was utilized to extract and evaluate several variables including: age, gender, education level, diagnosis of F64 according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10: Version: 2010), clinical comorbidities (coded by ICD-10), laboratory diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections, distance between patients' residence and the hospital, and year of entry into PROTIG.

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From a case report of a person with pedophilic disorder, this paper focuses on the issue of pedophilia, child sexual abuse, and the need for specific prevention and treatment strategies in Brazil. It seems inevitable to increase awareness for this topic within the mental health care system to protect children and reduce the risk for sexual offense in individuals at-risk. This is a case report of an individual, known by medical-psychiatric and forensic facilities for a past history of patricide, who revealed his pedophilic fantasies and behavior belatedly.

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Importance: Concerns about the mental health of youths going through gender identity transitions have received increased attention. There is a need for empirical evidence to understand how transitions in self-reported gender identity are associated with mental health.

Objective: To examine whether and how often youths changed self-reported gender identities in a longitudinal sample of sexual and gender minority (SGM) youths, and whether trajectories of gender identity were associated with depressive symptoms.

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Background: We systematically reviewed the literature and performed a meta-analysis on the effects of speech therapy and phonosurgery, for transgender women, in relation to the fundamental frequency gain of the voice, regarding the type of vocal sample collected, and we compared the effectiveness of the treatments. In addition, the study design, year, country, types of techniques used, total therapy time, and vocal assessment protocols were analyzed.

Methods: We searched the PubMed, Lilacs, and SciELO databases for observational studies and clinical trials, published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish, between January 2010 and January 2023.

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This cross-sectional and descriptive study aimed to evaluate the sexual function, urinary function, and quality of life of 26 Brazilian trans women who have undergone gender-affirming surgery (GAS) using the gold standard technique (penile inversion vaginoplasty) in the Gender Identity Transdisciplinary Program at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil, between March 2016 and July 2017. The Female Sexual Function Index, the SF-36 Health Survey, and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form were used. Regarding their surgical results, 84.

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Article Synopsis
  • Disorder of Sex Development (DSD) includes various congenital conditions marked by atypical chromosomal, gonadal, and anatomical sex, with diagnoses typically occurring at birth or infancy.
  • A study was conducted on 16 participants with different types of DSD to examine the impact on their sexual lives post-puberty, revealing delayed sexual debut, limited sexual experiences, and the presence of gender dysphoria in one case.
  • Findings indicate that the group experiences sexual attraction and masturbatory activity but generally has a significantly lower engagement in sexual relationships compared to the national average; however, the small sample size limits the ability to generalize the results.
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Introduction: The cognitive effects of cross-sex hormone therapy (CSHT) are not well understood. In cisgender individuals, sex hormone therapy can impact neurotransmitter levels and structural anatomy. Similarly, in gender-diverse persons, CSHT has been associated with neural adaptations, such as growth in brain structures resembling those observed in cisgender individuals of the same sex.

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Objective: To analyze the impact on the psychological and social aspects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria (GD).

Methods: Google Forms inventory was sent via WhatsApp, including qualitative and quantitative questions evaluating three life dimensions denominated as Sociodemographic, Economic, and COVID-19 pandemic. It was applied in two periods: At the beginning of the pandemic (June-2020) (P1) and one year later (June-2021) (P2).

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This cross-sectional study investigated whether depression, self-esteem, and resilience (mental health indicators) are associated with some psychological features of sexuality (sexual fear, sexual anxiety, sexual dissatisfaction, and sexual body image worries) in a sample of 462 transgender men and women from Brazil. Pearson's correlations were performed between all continuous variables in the study. Those that were significantly associated with the psychological features of sexuality in previous analyses were tested as independent variables in multiple linear regression models.

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Background: Population heterogeneity and the lack of clinical and sociodemographic information in transgender individuals with gender dysphoria (GD) remains a challenge for specialized services in mental health and surgical procedures. It aimed to identify and describe profiles in a sample waiting for gender-affirming surgery.

Methods: A sample of 100 outpatients with GD was assessed through a structured interview, Emotion Regulation Difficulty Scale (DERS), Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Life Satisfaction scale (SWLS).

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  • The study surveyed 82 transgender patients to investigate parental behavior patterns as perceived by their adult children, focusing on whether a particular parenting style was more common.
  • Results indicated that transgender individuals generally viewed their mothers positively and their fathers negatively, with significant differences in perceptions between genders.
  • The findings suggest that fathers should engage more in understanding transgender issues, and families may benefit from mental health support to create a more inclusive environment for those experiencing Gender Dysphoria.
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Transgender and gender non-binary youth are particularly vulnerable to tobacco smoking and susceptible to smoking adverse health outcomes. That is, they are in special risk to start smoking and, after starting, they may face worse outcomes when comparing to their cisgender peers. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate factors associated with tobacco use among transgender and gender non-binary youth.

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  • The study investigates the risk of low absolute neutrophil count (ANC) in patients with severe mental disorders taking clozapine, a medication known for its potential neutropenia risk.
  • It analyzes data from 5,847 subjects, finding that certain factors like being of white ethnicity and having an ANC > 2,000/µL provide protection against low ANC levels, while severe medical conditions pose a significant risk.
  • The results suggest that clozapine may not increase neutropenia risk for patients with a healthy ANC during the first year and can inform guidelines for monitoring blood tests in these cases.
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To ensure that public health services provide comprehensive and inclusive health care to the general population, it is important for countries to estimate how many of their citizens experience gender dysphoria and wish to receive specialized hormone treatment or gender-affirming surgery. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of individuals with gender dysphoria seeking transgender health care in a public teaching hospital in southern Brazil. In this retrospective follow-up study, we analyzed the medical records and sociodemographic data of individuals aged > 15 years living in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, that enrolled in a specialized program to receive hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgery between 2000 and 2018.

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Article Synopsis
  • Gender dysphoria is a distressing condition occurring when one's gender identity does not match their sex assigned at birth, and hormone therapy can enhance quality of life for those affected.
  • The study involved 113 transgender individuals (60 trans women and 53 trans men), assessing their perceived quality of life (QoL) through the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, finding no significant QoL difference between genders.
  • Among trans women, factors like breast development and stable relationships improved QoL, while for trans men, being in a stable relationship, increased body hair, physical activity, and employment contributed positively to their QoL scores.
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This study aimed to examine psychosocial factors and medical history as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress associated with ruminative thinking in transgender people with gender dysphoria (GD) before undergoing gender affirmation surgery (GAS). This study evaluated 189 participants with GD (111 trans women and 78 trans men) from a specialized service for GAS in southern Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and participants were asked to complete self-report questionnaires.

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This cross-sectional exploratory study aims to verify associations between condom-protected sex, condom negotiation self-efficacy, self-esteem, and four minority stressors (experiences with misgendering, "passing" concerns, anticipated prejudice, and perceived prejudice) among transgender men (TM) and transgender women (TW). 260 individuals (192 TW and 68 TM) residing in two Brazilian states participated in the study. Data was collected online and in two hospital programs for transgender people and included sociodemographic data, condom-protected sex, the Trans-Specific Condom/Barrier Negotiation Self-Efficacy (T-Barrier) Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and four minority stressors.

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