Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

BACKGROUND Understanding the magnitude of mental health problems, particularly life-threatening ones, experienced by transgender and/or gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth can lead to improved management of these conditions. METHODS Electronic medical records were used to identify a cohort of 588 transfeminine and 745 transmasculine children (3–9 years old) and adolescents (10–17 years old) enrolled in integrated health care systems in California and Georgia. Ten male and 10 female referent cisgender enrollees were matched to each TGNC individual on year of birth, race and/or ethnicity, study site, and membership year of the index date (first evidence of gender nonconforming status). Prevalence ratios were calculated by dividing the proportion of TGNC individuals with a specific mental health diagnosis or diagnostic category by the corresponding proportion in each reference group by transfeminine and/or transmasculine status, age group, and time period before the index date. RESULTS Common diagnoses for children and adolescents were attention deficit disorders (transfeminine 15%; transmasculine 16%) and depressive disorders (transfeminine 49%; transmasculine 62%), respectively. For all diagnostic categories, prevalence was severalfold higher among TGNC youth than in matched reference groups. Prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) for history of self-inflicted injury in adolescents 6 months before the index date ranged from 18 (95% CI 4.4–82) to 144 (95% CI 36–1248). The corresponding range for suicidal ideation was 25 (95% CI 14–45) to 54 (95% CI 18–218). CONCLUSIONS TGNC youth may present with mental health conditions requiring immediate evaluation and implementation of clinical, social, and educational gender identity support measures.

Strengths include the well-defined sampling frame, which allowed correcting for non-response, a sample with approximately equal numbers of TF and TM participants, and the ability to combine data on HT and gender confirmation surgeries. Limitations include the cross-sectional design and the fact that participants may not be representative of the transgender population in the United States. Body-gender congruence and body image satisfaction were higher, and depression and anxiety were lower among individuals who had more extensive GCT compared to those who received less treatment or no treatment at all. Owen-Smith AA, Gerth J, Sineath RC, et al. Association Between Gender Confirmation Treatments and Perceived Gender Congruence, Body Image Satisfaction and Mental Health in a Cohort Of Transgender Individuals. J Sex Med 2018;15:591-600.

PurposeThe Study of Transition, Outcomes and Gender (STRONG) was initiated to assess the health status of transgender people in general and following gender-affirming treatments at Kaiser Permanente health plans in Georgia, Northern California and Southern California. The objectives of this communication are to describe methods of cohort ascertainment and data collection and to characterise the study population.ParticipantsA stepwise methodology involving computerised searches of electronic medical records and free-text validation of eligibility and gender identity was used to identify a cohort of 6456 members with first evidence of transgender status (index date) between 2006 and 2014. The cohort included 3475 (54%) transfeminine (TF), 2892 (45%) transmasculine (TM) and 89 (1%) members whose natal sex and gender identity remained undetermined from the records. The cohort was matched to 127 608 enrollees with no transgender evidence (63 825 women and 63 783 men) on year of birth, race/ethnicity, study site and membership year of the index date. Cohort follow-up extends through the end of 2016.Findings to dateAbout 58% of TF and 52% of TM cohort members received hormonal therapy at Kaiser Permanente. Chest surgery was more common among TM participants (12% vs 0.3%). The proportions of transgender participants who underwent genital reconstruction surgeries were similar (4%–5%) in the two transgender groups. Results indicate that there are sufficient numbers of events in the TF and TM cohorts to further examine mental health status, cardiovascular events, diabetes, HIV and most common cancers.Future plansSTRONG is well positioned to fill existing knowledge gaps through comparisons of transgender and reference populations and through analyses of health status before and after gender affirmation treatment. Analyses will include incidence of cardiovascular disease, mental health, HIV and diabetes, as well as changes in laboratory-based endpoints (eg, polycythemia and bone density), overall and in relation to gender affirmation therapy.

Background & Aims: Colorectal cancer (CRC) deaths occur when patients do not receive screening or have inadequate follow up of abnormal results, or when the screening test itself fails. We have few data on the contribution of each to CRC-associated deaths or factors associated with these events. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients in the Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California systems (55–90 years old) who died from CRC from 2006 through 2012 and had ≥5 years of enrollment prior to diagnosis. We compared data from patients with a matched cohort of cancer-free patients in the same system. Receipt, results, indications, and follow up of CRC tests in the 10-year period prior to diagnosis were obtained from electronic databases and chart audits. Results: Among 1750 CRC deaths, 75.9% (n=1328) occurred in patients who were not up to date in screening and 24.1% (n=422) occurred in patients who were up to date. Failure to screen was associated with fewer visits to primary care physicians. Among 3486 cancer-free patients, 44.6% were up to date on their screening. Patients who were up to date in their screening had reduced risk of CRC death (odds ratio [OR], 0.38; 95% CI, 0.33–0.44). Failure to screen, or failure to screen at appropriate intervals, occurred in a 67.8% of patients who died from CRC vs 53.2% of cancer-free patients; failure to follow up on abnormal results occurred in 8.1% of patients who died from CRC vs 2.2% of cancer-free patients. CRC death was associated with higher odds of failure to screen or failure to screen at appropriate intervals (OR, 2.40; 95% CI, 2.07–2.77) and failure to follow up on abnormal results (OR, 7.26; 95% CI, 5.26–10.03). Conclusions: Being up to date on screening substantially reduces risk of CRC death. In 2 healthcare systems with high rates of screening, most people who died from CRC had failures in the screening process that could be rectified, such as failure to follow up on abnormal findings; these significantly increased risk for CRC death.