Sex Hormones and Voice: From Puberty to Gender-Affirming Therapy
Thursday 6th August 2026, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM (London Time)
How do sex hormones define the human voice?
This course offers a comprehensive exploration of the vocal apparatus as a hormone-sensitive organ, analysing the physiological changes occurring at puberty as well as the changes induced by gender-affirming hormones initiated during adolescence.
The session begins by decoding the sexual dimorphism of the voice. While prepubertal voices remain largely similar, the surge of sex steroids at puberty drives dramatic physiological changes, resulting in clearly distinguishable male and female vocal characteristics. We will analyse how endogenous sex steroids—androgens, oestrogens, and progesterone—act on laryngeal tissues to drive these changes.
For adolescents experiencing gender incongruence, these changes can be a source of intense distress. In transgender and gender diverse people, the experienced gender does not align with the sex at birth. This incongruence often leads to significant distress, that it is referred to as gender dysphoria. Medical interventions aim to alleviate this distress by aligning physical characteristics, including the voice, with an individual's experienced gender. This course presents cutting-edge research on the long-term effects of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy (GAHT) initiated during adolescence. We will examine the clinical pathway from Gonadal Hormone Suppression (GHS) to the subsequent administration of exogenous testosterone or oestrogens.
Results from the analysis of a cohort of transgender men and women evaluated 5 to 10 years after starting treatment will be discussed. By comparing their vocal outcomes to cisgender men and women of the same age range, we will explore the changes induced by the treatment on voice fundamental frequency, intensity, and quality. Moreover, we will discuss how early start of GHS can help improving vocal outcomes, and the synergistic impact of voice training and gender-affirming vocal surgeries.
🏷️ Price £30 (UK VAT inclusive)
🎥 Recording automatically sent to all who book (even if you cannot attend live)
▶️ Rewatch as many times as you like
📜 Certificate of attendance available
Dr Silvia Ciancia
Silvia Ciancia is a paediatric endocrinologist and researcher. Born in Italy, she earned her Medical Degree from the University of Pisa (2015) and completed her residency in Paediatrics at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (2021). Driven by a global perspective on endocrine health, her training has spanned several continents, including clinical and research experiences in Ethiopia, Kenya, France, Romania, the Netherlands, and the USA.
Attend this course for as little as £22 as part of the Voice Professional Training CPD Award Scheme.
Learn MoreSorry, this is an archived short course...
We have plenty of upcoming short courses coming soon. See details of some of them below or look at the full list of short courses.
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Join Kevin Wilson for this six-part certificated course, offering an in‑depth, practical exploration of contemporary voice teaching for musical theatre. Across six focused classes, participants develop a systematic approach to vocal technique, diagnosis, and repertoire selection that reflects the stylistic, physical, and emotional demands of the genre. The curriculum integrates vocal science, embodied voice work, registration theory, and stylistic awareness across the five major sub‑genres of musical theatre.
Tuesday 22nd September 2026
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Vocal production, or the process of recording a voice, is a multifaceted practice requiring a diverse set of skills. It has traditionally been considered the role of the producer in a recording studio, and vocalists can often feel intimidated by learning complex technical skills or prohibited by the cost of recording equipment. This course is aimed at voice coaches and vocalists who want to learn to record and shape their vocal tracks, as well as how to teach these skills to voice students. No matter your technical experience or setup, you can record great-sounding vocals!
Monday 28th September 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Tuesday 29th September 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Wednesday 30th September 2026
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
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1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
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1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
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This five-day course is designed for professional coaches who want to extend their practice into executive coaching, leadership communication, and professional corporate voice work.