COLUMBUS, Ohio — Transgender individuals are often the subject of discrimination, harassment and violence, which can lead to struggles with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
Comprehensive gender-affirming voice care services available at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center can help transgender patients communicate in a manner that matches their gender identity, improving their personal safety and overall well-being.
“We’ve found that when someone is able to transition, a lot of the underlying mental health issues that people assumed were ingrained get better,” said Dr. Laura Matrka, an otolaryngologist at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center and clinical associate professor of otolaryngology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
Patients seeking a voice that aligns with their gender identity start with an assessment of their overall voice by an otolaryngologist. The surgeon examines the vocal cords during the laryngoscopy procedure and evaluates how they vibrate.
Following the assessment, patients participate in 10–12 weeks of intense therapy with a voice therapist who specializes in gender-affirming voice therapy.
A small subset of patients may need further treatment to modify their voice. In those cases, a surgeon can perform a voice or pitch elevation surgery such as Wendler's glottoplasty.
Voice therapy and surgery are part of a broad range of surgical, non-surgical and mental health care services at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center that are available to transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming patients.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above previously aired on 3News on May 17, 2022.