Li Liping, Pan Huiqing, Wang Keling, Yang Muhua, He Ying, Cai Lu, Liu Yang
School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Int J Transgend Health. 2024 Feb 22;26(3):779-794. doi: 10.1080/26895269.2024.2316693. eCollection 2025.
The overdose and misuse (ODM) of gender-affirming hormone treatment (GAHT) medications is common among the Chinese transgender and gender diverse (TGD) population due to a unique sociocultural and healthcare basis. However, there is no existing publication providing descriptions and interpretations of this situation among Chinese TGD people.
To investigate related factors, probable triggers, and causes of GAHT ODM among Chinese TGD people on a qualitative basis, and develop a corresponding framework for further studies.
We used an expert panel to draw up the criteria of ODM and semi-structured interviews to collect data. TGD people from mainland China were recruited online for interviews. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted using a framework method. A working analytical framework was developed based on the coding of nine randomly selected transcripts and the researchers' discussion and experience. The framework was continuously refined and applied to code and chart all transcripts into the framework matrix. We examined all potential experiences and perspectives of participants on GAHT ODM.
Twenty-one Chinese TGD youths (mean age 21.6, SD 3.65) with GAHT experience in the past 12 months completed eligible interviews, of whom eight were trans women, eight were trans men and five identified themselves as genderqueer or non-binary. Ten of them reported ODM according to the criteria derived from an expert panel. We extracted five domains consisting of 14 topics related to their GAHT medication behaviors, i.e. accessibility of healthcare resources, gender minority stress, online TGD communities and drug sellers, gender dysphoria and mental distress, and knowledge deficit.
This study firstly used qualitative methods to investigate GAHT ODM among Chinese TGD people, providing a framework to identify probable causes and triggers for further studies. Practitioners or psychologists can take this framework as a reference when evaluating TGD clients in order to better understand their behaviors.
由于独特的社会文化和医疗保健基础，性别肯定激素治疗（GAHT）药物的过量使用和滥用（ODM）在中国跨性别者和性别多样化（TGD）人群中很常见。然而，目前尚无出版物对中国TGD人群中的这种情况进行描述和解读。
定性调查中国TGD人群中GAHT药物过量使用和滥用的相关因素、可能的触发因素和原因，并为进一步研究制定相应框架。
我们使用专家小组制定ODM标准，并通过半结构化访谈收集数据。从中国大陆招募TGD人群进行在线访谈。采用框架法进行归纳主题分析。基于对9份随机抽取的访谈记录的编码以及研究人员的讨论和经验，开发了一个工作分析框架。该框架不断完善，并应用于将所有访谈记录编码并绘制到框架矩阵中。我们研究了参与者对GAHT药物过量使用和滥用的所有潜在经历和观点。
21名在过去12个月内有GAHT经历的中国TGD青年（平均年龄21.6岁，标准差3.65）完成了符合条件的访谈，其中8名是跨性别女性，8名是跨性别男性，5名自我认定为性别酷儿或非二元性别。根据专家小组制定的标准，其中10人报告了药物过量使用和滥用情况。我们提取了五个领域，包括与他们的GAHT药物行为相关的14个主题，即医疗资源的可及性、性别少数群体压力、在线TGD社区和药品卖家、性别焦虑和精神困扰以及知识缺乏。
本研究首次采用定性方法调查中国TGD人群中的GAHT药物过量使用和滥用情况，为识别可能的原因和触发因素提供了一个框架，以便进行进一步研究。从业者或心理学家在评估TGD客户时可以参考这个框架，以便更好地理解他们的行为。
