Washington, DC—Bruce Jenner came out as transgender during an interview with Diane Sawyer Friday. The “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star and 1976 Olympic gold medalist’s announcement put the spotlight on the health needs of transgender people.

Transgender people often undergo hormone therapy under the care of endocrinologists, specially trained physicians who handle health issues related to hormones and glands. In 2009, the Endocrine Society published a Clinical Practice Guideline to provide clinicians with evidence-based recommendations for treating people with gender dysphoria using hormone therapy.

The chairman of the Endocrine Society’s Transgender Task Force, Wylie C. Hembree, MD, is an expert on transgender health. He is available to speak to members of the media about the latest science on hormone therapy treatment, including:

• What are the goals of hormone therapy for transgender people?• When should transgender people begin undergoing endocrine treatment?• How do hormones affect the development of sex characteristics?• When is it appropriate to use hormone therapy to treat teenagers who are transgender?• How safe is hormone therapy for transgender people?

WHO: Endocrine Society Transgender Task Force Chairman Wylie C. Hembree, MD Special Lecturer, Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons

CONTACT: To schedule interviews, please contact Jenni Glenn Gingery at [email protected] or 202-971-3655.

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Founded in 1916, the Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest, largest and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, the Endocrine Society’s membership consists of over 18,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 100 countries. Society members represent all basic, applied and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Washington, DC. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at www.endocrine.org. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/EndoMedia.