CHESTGuidelines & Topic CollectionsIndividuals Who Are Transgender and Gender-Diverse: How to Improve Your Pulmonary Care Experience

Advocating for gender-affirming care

CHEST believes all patients deserve respect and dignity. We know that coming out to your health care provider can be intimidating, and we are committed to affirming your identity. Your provider may express interest and ask questions to ensure that you receive the most relevant and personal level of care. These conversations may initially feel awkward, but honest discussions are important to providing the best care for you.

Last updated May 11, 2023

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Telling the pulmonologist about your hormone therapy

How hormone medications may affect lung growth and function is currently unknown. Because hormone therapy facilitates bodily changes and physical development, it can interact with other medications and treatments. For now, lung function tests are used to identify a lung problem and its severity and to review possible therapies and your response to treatments.

It’s important to ensure all your health care providers know if you receive gender-affirming hormone therapy. Your pulmonary doctor may ask follow-up questions to understand better if side effects from your hormone therapy treatment or medications could be affecting your lung health or treatment results.

Taking pulmonary lung health tests

Your pulmonary doctor will likely want to test your pulmonary function. Pulmonary function tests help measure the size of your lungs and their ability to hold and move volumes of air through lung airways. These tests help your pulmonary provider assess for lung problems and determine your treatment. The results may be compared to data from other patients in your age, weight, height range, and sex assigned at birth.

Research has shown that using sex assigned at birth leads to a more accurate diagnosis than relying on gender identity. We recognize the importance of gender affirmation and its positive impact on your well-being. We encourage you to be open with your pulmonary provider to minimize anxiety and maximize your lung health. Future research may show that for some people, it is better to assess lung function using gender rather than one’s sex assigned at birth, but for now, the standard of care is to use sex assigned at birth.

Resources for medical care of LGBTQIA+ patients