$1.6 Million: NIH Funded Transgender Reproductive Health Research — Including Fertility Preservation. DOGE Ended It.

§ 01 / The Study

The NIH National Institute of Child Health and Human Development funded research examining reproductive health outcomes in transgender individuals receiving hormone therapy — specifically fertility preservation options, gonadal function changes under hormone treatment, and long-term reproductive outcomes. Cross-sex hormone therapy affects fertility in both transgender men (testosterone reduces ovarian function) and transgender women (estrogen and androgen blockers reduce sperm production). The American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Endocrine Society both publish guidelines on fertility preservation for transgender patients before initiating hormone therapy.

The research was generating long-term outcomes data that fertility preservation counselors currently lack — specifically on reversibility of hormone effects on fertility after cessation. This has direct clinical relevance for transgender individuals who transition in adolescence and later may wish to have biological children. DOGE terminated the grant under EO 14168.

What This Means

$1.6 million in NIH NICHD funding for transgender reproductive health research — including fertility preservation outcomes for individuals considering hormone therapy. Terminated February 2025 under EO 14168. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine had cited the need for this data; its absence means fertility counselors working with transgender patients have limited long-term evidence to guide discussions about preserving reproductive options before beginning hormone treatment.

Sources · 10 Citations