Predicting successful sperm retrieval in transfeminine adolescents after testicular biopsy

Abstract

Purpose: Increasing numbers of transgender adolescents are receiving gender-affirming treatments (GAT). Given GAT can impair reproductive function, clinical guidelines advise prior counselling regarding fertility preservation (FP). For transgender adults assigned male at birth, FP is usually achieved via a masturbatory sample and sperm cryopreservation. This is less straightforward in transgender adolescents, since they may not be developmentally ready to masturbate and/or masturbation may cause unacceptable gender dysphoria. Testicular biopsy represents an alternative method for sperm retrieval in these adolescents, but for those in early/mid puberty, it is difficult to predict whether sper..