MEASURE-TNB

Sexual health contributes to the emotional and physical wellbeing of all individuals including those of varying genders, sexual orientations, and anatomies. To date, sexual health research has commonly focused on the experiences of sexual function within the cisgender population. Thus, transgender and gender diverse populations (TGD) remain understudied within sexual function research. There is a lack of sexual function assessment measures specific for use with TGD populations, as well as limited research on the general sexual expression and function of non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals. Research determining if TGD people experience aspects of sexual function in the same ways as cisgender people must be undertaken to understand gaps in current sexual health literature. Additionally, sexual function assessment methods that are validated within TGD populations are few, and possibly non-existent, and thus significant research in this area is needed.
 
The purpose of this systematic review is to catalogue what measurement tools are being used to assess the sexual function of TGD populations and to document the state of psychometric validation of these measurement tools to motivate an expansion of sexual health assessment options for gender diverse people.

In this systematic review, an examination is conducted on measurement tools used to assess the sexual function of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals. The focus is on understanding whether tools originally designed for cisgender people have undergone adaptation for application in TGD populations. The review assesses the utilization of sexual function tools in TGD populations, evaluating whether they have been specifically developed for transgender and non-binary individuals and examining the validation processes within this demographic.

For more information, contact Lane Begalke at lane.begalke@ucalgary.ca