Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is more prevalent in females seeking medical transition.

Females   Medical transition   Testosterone  

A 2025 study1 from Argentina found that 26.6% of female adults presenting for “gender-affirming hormone therapy” had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) prior to starting any hormonal treatment. PCOS is a hormonal disorder characterized by irregular periods, excess male hormone levels, and cysts on the ovaries. This rate is 2-3 times higher than the 8-13% prevalence in the general female population.2

A 2024 study3 from the Cleveland Clinic similarly found 23.8% of adolescent females presenting for “gender-affirming hormone therapy” had PCOS, with higher male hormone levels, higher BMIs, and increased rates of dyslipidemia than those without PCOS.

  1. Calvar, C. E., Di Noto, M., Lema Villacis, M., Blanco Hirota, N., & Anticona Sayán, M. I. (2025). Prevalencia, distribución fenotípica y riesgo cardiometabólico del síndrome de ovario poliquístico en población transgénero [Prevalence, phenotype distribution and cardiometabolic risk of polycystic ovarian syndrome in transgender population]. Medicina, 85(1), 31–38. [Link] ↩︎
  2. March, W. A., Moore, V. M., Willson, K. J., Phillips, D. I., Norman, R. J., & Davies, M. J. (2010). The prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in a community sample assessed under contrasting diagnostic criteria. Human reproduction, 25(2), 544-551. [Link]
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  3. Rangi, S. K., Rehmer, J., & Ferrando, C. A. (2024). Prevalence of polycystic ovarian syndrome in young and adolescent transmasculine patients presenting for gender-affirming care. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 37(1), 51-55. [Link] ↩︎
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