AFFIRM Relationships has a number of different research studies on its timeline! Not all of these will go live at once, so please email us to show your interest and to be added to the newsletter, and / or follow us on Instagram or X to be notified when a new study is added
For this study, we are particularly interested to track your social health and social relationships to see how these do or do not change over time as you start your treatment (either GAHT, mastectomy or voice training). To understand why these changes might be happening, we will also measure other aspects that might influence your scial health, like: self-esteem, gender congruence, your satisfaction with life, how you feel about your relationships with others, and so on. We will also ask you information about yourself, such as your age, your relationship status, your living situation and any previous medical history. This way we can build a picture of what might happen when people start a certain treatment, whilst also taking into account thier own personal situation.
For this research, there are dfferent requirements depending on which treatment you are starting. All those who take part are required to complete an online questionnaire pack at 5 time points. Those who are starting GAHT are also asked to take part in a series of behavioural tasks (computer games) at 3 of these time points:
The questionnaire pack will take approximately 90 minutes to complete and will include questions about you and your medical history, how you feel your appearance matches your gender, your psychological well-being, and how you feel in your social life.
For those starting GAHT, the computer games will take place at The Amsterdam UMC at the same time as your clinic visit, and will include a reaction time game, an investment game and an online ball toss game to measure different aspects of how you are feeling in your psychological and social well-being.
As a thank you for taking part, we would like to offer a compensation of 30 euros per activity for those who take part. For example, completing the questionnaire pack would count as one activity, whereas the questionnaire pack and the computer games would count as two activities. You will also be able to claim back the money you spend travelling to the clinic for the computer games.
Are you interested in taking part? Please contact the research tam and they will reach out to you with the necessary information. Reaching out to us doe snot mean you have to take part, you can change your mind at any time.
Have any questions about research? Please see our FAQs or feel free to email us at Affirm@amsterdamumc.nl
A longitudinal cohort study is a type of research where you (the participant) provide data over time which then allows the research team to analyse whether any changes happen when you start a treatment. We can then compare these findings to people who have started a different type of treatment to see if the treatment type plays a role.
This is an experience group who will meet between 6-8 times during the AFFIRM Relationships project
In order for the AFFIRM Relationships study to accurately reflect the views, preferences and experiences of those who are on gender affirming hormones, it is essential that our research is co-created with community members and their social circle. This way our approach can be informed by Trans people's lived experience at every stage.
If you answered YES to either of these questions, then you could be a part of the experience group!
Stakeholder members will be invited to take part in a number of activities and opportunities throughout the research. It is up to you how many you attend. These will include:
Half-day workshops where we discuss a topic related to the AFFIRM Relationships project. This will be a chance to contribute your own experience, to hear the experiences of others, and to use these insights to create new knowledge and understanding.
Short sessions where we will seek your feedback on specific study aspects. This could be to ask for your take on materials used, questions asked and language use for example.
Study events where we can tell you about the most up to date results from AFFIRM Relationships
We would like to hold these events in a way that makes them accessible for anyone who would like to take part. To help with this:
Any cost of travel to these events will be covered
You will receive a payment for each session you are involved in. Please contact the research team to find out the exact value.
Sessions will be delivered in Dutch AND English. If you would like to speak a different language, please let the research team know
Sessions will be delivered mostly in person, but if an online session is necessary, this can be arranged.
Is this opportunity not accessible for you?
Please use the contact form to tell us why!
This is an interview study requiring just one participation session
Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is a common step taken by those who would like to better align their physical presentation with their gender identity. Understanding the potential various effects of hormone therapy on well-being is important to ensure that trans people on GAHT are adequately informed on the potential outcomes and impacts of GAHT on their well-being. Well-being can mean different things to different people and can be effected by a number of factors, including fluctuations in mood, pre-existing mental health, our environment and our relationships. The purpose of this study is to better understand how transgender hormone users experience changes within themselves after starting GAHT
Those who are interested will be invited to tell us about their experience by taking part in an interview either in person or online.
We would like to speak to anyone who is over the age of 16 years and who has been prescribed gender-affirming hormone therapy by a healthcare professional.
Anyone who takes part will receive €20 for their time. If you would like to learn more about what taking part in research is like, please see our FAQs page or to ask a question or express interest in taking part, please fill out this contact form
