Disparities in sport participation of transgender women: a systematic and scoping review protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Transgender women experience disparities in sport participation that are exacerbated by policies from sport organisations and legislation in the USA regulating the participation of transgender women in the category that best aligns with their gender identity. Both transgender and cisgender women are affected by these policies because sport organisations do not have a clear understanding of the effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy on transgender women and the unfair advantage they may have over cisgender women athletes. This article describes a review protocol to understand disparities in sport participation of transgender women. Methods and analysis: A systematic and scoping review is being conducted. Studies are included if they explore disparities in sport participation (ie, participation rates, real and/or perceived barriers to participation) of transgender women of any age. A search strategy has been developed for PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and CINAHL. Relevant grey literature will also be scanned. The planned search dates are July and August 2023. Ethics and dissemination: This review does not directly involve human subjects, so ethical approval is not required. Findings from the systematic review will be disseminated via publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.