Relationship between vocal fatigue and feminized vocal self-perception in trans women in Argentinian Transgender women in 2021

Abstract

Transgender women are those ones whose gender expression, felt identity or behavior is that of a woman, not matching their male sex assigned at birth. As a consequence of producing a gender-appropriate voice, they may be prone to voice disorders associated to inefficient muscle tension patterns, which may lead to symptoms, such as vocal fatigue. Purpose: identify the relationship between vocal fatigue (VF) and feminized vocal self-perception in transgender women in Argentina, between 18–55-year-old, in 2021.

A cross-sectional correlational study approved by CIEIS HNC was carried out. The data was obtained anonymously through a Google form. The Vocal Fatigue Index (VFI) was used, with its three dimensions, i.e., fatigue and vocal restriction, physical discomfort associated with the voice and recovery with vocal rest, and the section on global self-perception of the current voice from the Transsexual Voice Questionnaire (TVQ), both validated in Spanish. In addition, an ad hoc questionnaire for socio-hygienic characteristics and exclusion and inclusion criteria was also used. The sample consisted of 42 trans women, between 18 and 55 years old, who lived fully as women for at least 6 months before the study, excluding those who had received surgery to raise the fundamental frequency, those who had undergone or previously received phoniatric rehabilitation and those who had vocal, hormone, respiratory or auditory pathologies.

47.6% of the women self-perceived their voice within the neutral category, and to a lesser extent, feminine and masculine. According to the Spearman test, the older the age, the more feminine the subject self-perceived her voice, with no relationship between age and vocal fatigue. 76.19% experienced vocal fatigue in at least one of the three dimensions of the VFI. A moderately significant statistical relationship was found between participants' feminized voice self-perception and vocal fatigue in the first two dimensions of the Vocal Fatigue Index, but not in the last one.

The hypothesis was partially confirmed, as a statistical relationship was found between most of the dimensions of the VFI and the self-perception of feminization of the voice.