Different measures of fundamental frequency and vocal satisfaction among transgender men and women.

Abstract

Purpose: To verify possible correlations between fo and voice satisfaction among Brazilian transgender people.

Methods: An observational, cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted with the Trans Woman Voice Questionnaire (TWVQ), voice recording (sustained vowel and automatic speech) and extraction of seven acoustic measurements related to fo position and variability in transgender people. Participants were divided into two groups according to gender. After descriptive and inferential analysis, comparison between both groups was performed by Student's t-test and the correlation between fo measurements and the TWVQ protocol was calculated by Pearson's correlation (p<0.05).

Results: A total of 11 transgender women (mean age = 26.91) and seven transgender men (mean age = 26.57) participated in the study. Women desired a slightly feminine voice, scoring 72.8 on the TWVQ, with mean pitch values of 165.2Hz on vowels and 144.5Hz in speech. Men desired a slightly masculine voice, scoring 68.4 on the TWVQ, with mean pitch values of 143.3Hz on vowels and 138.9Hz in speech. Of the seven evaluated measures, only the maximum pitch during number counting by women showed a moderate negative correlation with the TWVQ (p=0.043).

Conclusion: Only maximum fo during number counting by transgender women showed a negative correlation with the TWVQ score. Results suggest that although fo may play a role in gender perception by voice, it is not the only determinant of vocal satisfaction in this population.