Measurements and Evaluations of Male-to-Female Transsexual Voice

Eva B. Holmberg*, Jennifer Oates, Georgia Dacakis, Cameron Grant

Although male-to-female transsexuals frequently undergo voice therapy in order to develop voice patterns that are close to those of biological females, there is a paucity of information on vocal functioning in transsexuals as compared to vocal functioning in non-transsexual males and females. In the absence of such data, the underlying rationale for voice therapy methods for transsexual clients is unclear. This presentation will report preliminary objective and subjective data from an ongoing study of male-to-female transsexual voice function and quality. Phonetogram recordings are made of voice range, mean F0 and SPL for a standard reading passage and a monologue in the transsexual participants’ typical (habitual) and loud female voice using the Hitech Development AB Phog (Phonetograph) program, Estimates of subglottal air pressure and average air flow along with measurements of SPL and F0 are made from oral measurements for /pae/ syllable strings in female typical and loud voice using the F-J Electronics Aerophone II for Windows system. Auditory perceptual analyses of the reading passages in habitual female voice are made by three voice-trained speech-language pathologists. Questionnaires are used for the clients’ self-reports on clinical status and voice. Comparisons are made between the transsexual data and normal female and male data. The results will provide basic voice data for male-to-female transsexuals and will be discussed in terms of their implications for voice management and therapy for this client group.

Eva B. Holmberg*, Jennifer Oates, Georgia Dacakis, Cameron Grant
School of Human Communication Sciences
La Trobe University Victoria 3086, Australia

* supported by a La Trobe University, Institute for Advanced Study Fellowship and a Grant from the Swedish Voice Foundation
Eva B Holmberg: e-mail: eva.holmberg@klinvet.ki.se
Postal address: Dept. of Logopedics and Phoniatrics,, Karolinska Institute — Huddinge B,69, SE-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden. Telephone: + 46 8 585 86364. Fax: + 46 8 585 81505 Jennifer Oates: e-mail: j.oates@latrobe.edu.au

Postal address: School of Human Communication Sciences, La Trobe University.

Victoria 3086, Australia. Telephone: + 61 3 9479 1810, Fax: + 61 3 9479 1874