Mapping the Characteristics of Voice and Communication Training Conducted with Transgender Women: A Scoping Review


Objective: To map the characteristics of voice and communication training provided to transgender women by speech-language pathologists. Methods: This scoping review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. The protocol was registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF), and its description adhered to the PRISMA-ScR and PRISMA for Abstracts guidelines. Searches were conducted in LILACS/VHL, MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library, as well as through manual searches in gray literature, citation and reference mapping, and expert consultation. No language or date restrictions were applied. Studies including transgender women aged 18 years or older were considered eligible. Two independent reviewers performed study selection and data extraction using Rayyan, in three stages: duplicate removal, title and abstract screening, and full-text assessment applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Extracted data included publication characteristics, participant information, and training features based on the Rehabilitation Treatment Specification System (RTSS) model. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. Results: A total of 1,908 studies were identified, with 1,873 excluded, resulting in 35 eligible studies. Most studies were conducted in the United States (28.6%) and published in 2024 (22.9%). Participants most frequently reported hormone use (31.4%), without vocal surgery (65.7%) or previous voice training (60%). Training was predominantly traditional and non-intensive (82.9%), face-to-face (85.7%), and individual (88.6%), conducted once a week (42.9%) with sessions lasting 60 minutes (22.9%). The most frequent therapeutic targets were vocal function (94.3%), speech and communication function (88.6%), vocal pedagogy (80%), respiratory function (77.1%), somatosensory function (74.3%), and musculoskeletal function (71.4%). The most common intervention ingredients included resonant voice therapy techniques (e.g., humming, semi-occluded vocal tract exercises) (88.6%), vocal education and counseling (80%), pitch and loudness modification techniques (e.g., pitch glides, speaking pitch range exercises) (77.1%), and articulatory modification strategies (e.g., overarticulation, chewed speech) (71.4%). Conclusion: This evidence mapping indicates that interventions for transgender women primarily focus on vocal parameters—such as resonance, fundamental frequency (pitch), and intensity (loudness)—while broader communicative components remain underexplored. Expanding the scope of intervention to include comprehensive speech and communication targets that align with this population’s communicative needs is strongly recommended.

Alline
Yago
Rodrigo
Vanessa
Eduardo Magalhães
Rodrigues Brasil
Bonfim Viana
Dornelas
Veis Ribeiro
da Silva