Research – where would we be without it?
Tailoring hormone injection research to transgender males
Without research, we might very well still be subjected to bloodletting as a common form of treatment. I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief over that. But that is only one small area where research has made a massive difference in health care.
A recent study conducted by *Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) scientist Dr. David Wilson is a case in point. Dr. Wilson embarked on a study to investigate whether trans males who are using an alternative method to inject testosterone only as far as under the skin (i.e. subcutaneously), because it’s less painful, achieve the same levels of hormone uptake and receive the same benefits of testosterone as those who inject intramuscularly.
Go to Tailoring hormone injection research to transgender males to find out the results.
In other research news, mark your calendar for November 15 for VCH Vancouver Community’s first Research Day. The theme will be the importance of research in the areas of primary and community care – a significant topic given they are the foundation for the entire health care system. Watch for future articles where we will interview some of the researchers in Vancouver Community and give you a sneak preview of what to expect at the event.
The Vancouver Community Research Day will be held in the Medical Student & Alumni Centre at 2750 Heather Street on the VGH campus. There will be two keynote speakers, a poster session and other exciting activities over the course of the afternoon so you can pick and choose your topic. You will have opportunities to learn about research at Vancouver Community, connect with researchers and learn about VCHRI resources for starting your own research project. Watch for more information.
*The Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI) is the research arm of VCH and a health partner of UBC. Their focus is on innovation and discoveries that improve patient health, transform health systems, and directly impact health outcomes. They are a significant part of B.C.’s health research industry and a major health research institute in Canada.
Kathleen Butler
Thank you for your comment.
Sophia Woo
Benefits of hormone injection research are apparent as part of gender affirmation therapy for transgender males. What is not is that these can be achieved by hormone injection in under the skin rather than the standard intramuscular injection. With respect to transgender males, tailoring the research requires convincing critical professionals that subcutaneous injection is a valid approach and far less painful
Tailoring research to the problem at hand has been an issue since early attempts by John Snow in 1855 to convince a professional audience that public water supply by a private company was the source of transmission of cholera in London.
He outlined a statistical process to predict incidence of cholera and prove his theory that cholera was a waterborne disease. Snow was right but he did not tailor his argument on cause of cholera to the research methodology of the day to prove water was the sole vector of cholera. As a result his research did not meet the criteria of the day and he did not convince a professional audience that cholera was strictly a waterborne disease.
Being right and when it was later accepted in the 1880’s his approach formed the basis of modern day epidemiology. His research is famous. His experience also illustrates a methodological and conceptual problem in terms of tailoring argument to the application at hand. Had he tailored his research or even responded to criticism of the day his theory would have been fully accepted and community health would have benefited from his research earlier.
This brings us to hormone injection research on transgender males. The research is suggestive and to utilize it in this context it must be tailored to meet criteria of professional audiences today. Otherwise it may be a valid approach and right solution but not accepted as standard care as intramuscular injection is by the broader professional audience.
Briefly, showing the merit of injecting testosterone under the skin involves evaluating with the criteria today and outlining plausible reasons criticisms do not inhibit the results of applying this research to transgender males.
Sophia Woo