A Speech Therapy for Transgender Women: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Systematic Reviews

Schwarz, K., Cielo, C. A., et al. (2023).

Systematic Reviews, 12(1), 128.

This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the effect of speech therapy and/or phonosurgery on fundamental frequency for transgender women.

Fundo de Incentivo a Pesquisa e Eventos do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (Brazil); National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Brazil); Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education (CAPES; Brazil)

2010 to 2023

Any study design excluding reviews. 

16

<div>Findings demonstrated that both voice therapy and combined treatments of phonosurgery and voice therapy were associated with increased fundamental frequency, improved female voice perception, and greater vocal satisfaction in transgender women. However, combined treatments yielded greater gains in fundamental frequency when compared to speech therapy alone. Meta-analysis revealed:&nbsp;</div> <ul> <li><span style="color: #333333;">For speech therapy alone: an average gain in fundamental frequency of 27 Hz for the /a/ vowel sample, of 39.05 Hz for reading, and of 25.45 Hz for spontaneous speech; and</span></li> <li><span style="color: #333333;">For combined phonosurgery and speech therapy: an average gain in fundamental frequency of 71.68 Hz for the /a/ vowel sample, of 41.07 Hz for reading, and of 39.09 Hz for spontaneous speech.</span></li> </ul> <div><span style="color: #333333;">The number of sessions for speech therapy did not have a significant effect on fundamental frequency outcomes. Limitations to this review include small sample sizes across a small number of research studies and heterogeneity in therapeutic techniques and fundamental frequency analysis techniques.&nbsp;</span></div>