ArticleEClinicalMedicine2026
Prevalence and clinical course of pelvic pain among transmasculine individuals on gender-affirming testosterone: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Pelvic pain is increasingly recognised among transmasculine individuals receiving gender-affirming testosterone therapy, yet no systematic synthesis of prevalence or clinical course exists. Methods: We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis of pelvic pain in transgender individuals. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and CENTRAL from January 2013 to June 2026. Studies reporting prevalence or clinical course of pelvic pain in transmasculine individuals with or without testosterone therapy were included. Methodological quality was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. Pooled prevalence estimates were calculated using random-effects models. PROSPERO registration: CRD420261278643. Findings: Eleven studies encompassing 4176 transmasculine individuals were included, of whom 2891 received testosterone therapy. Among those receiving testosterone, the pooled prevalence of pelvic pain was 39% (95% CI 23-55%), significantly higher than in cisgender women (5-25%). Prevalence was higher in surgical cohorts (50%, 95% CI 12-88%) than in non-surgical populations (28%, 95% CI 13-46%). New-onset pelvic pain was reported in 31% (95% CI 5-65%) of previously asymptomatic individuals after testosterone initiation. Critically, among individuals with preexisting pain, 72% (95% CI 62-81%) reported persistence, while only 26% (95% CI 18-34%) reported improvement or remission after testosterone initiation. Interpretation: Pelvic pain is common among transmasculine individuals and frequently persists despite testosterone therapy. These findings challenge the widespread assumption that androgenic hormonal transition is protective against pelvic pain and highlight the urgent need for proactive assessment and gender-affirming management in this population. Prospective studies with standardised pain assessment and investigation of hormonal, tissue-level, and psychosocial mechanisms are needed to develop evidence-based interventions. Funding: No funding was received.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.