Dr. Giacomozzi

Who I am

Maddalena Giacomozzi (they/them)

I am a medical doctor, researcher and queer health advocate.

With a background in international medicine and global health, I have dedicated my career to advancing health justice for marginalized groups. In 2021, I co-founded the Treat it Queer Foundation, an international NGO focused on health justice for the queer community, and I served as chair until November 2025.

My clinical expertise is in sexual and reproductive health with a particular focus on gynecology and clinical sexology, centering gender and sexual minority people.

In January 2026 I defended my PhD thesis on endometriosis among trans and gender diverse people. Through transdisciplinary research grounded in intersectionality and embodiment theories, my work aims to challenge normative assumptions about sex and gender to move beyond the biomedical paradigm.

I have had the honor to present my research and advocacy work at conferences and all sorts of events worldwide, engaging audiences ranging from academic researchers to queer community groups. My work has also been featured in the press, including interviews with Medisch Contact and TRANS Magazine.

Education

2022-2024 NVVS Seksuologie Opleiding, RINO Amsterdam

2017-2020 MSc Medicine, Maastricht University

2019-2020 MSc Global Health, Maastricht University

2014-2017 BSc Internation Track in Medicine, Maastricht University

Research

Do you want to collaborate on a research project? Send me an email!

During my PhD I have investigated endometriosis among trans and gender diverse people adopting a transdisciplinary mixed-methods approach. I defended my PhD thesis titled “Bleeding through: A transdisciplinary exploration of endometriosis among transgender and gender diverse people” at Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.

Besides my PhD, I have also collaborated on numerous projects with different university hospitals, LGBTIA+ organizations and international research groups. The main focus of my research is advancing health justice for the queer community through robust and inclusive methodologies. Please see below for a list of my publications.

My passion for science outreach led me to work on several publications aimed at the general public. These include the graphic medicine book “It’s a journey. A graphic medicine exploration of endometriosis and gender diversity”, which you can access for free here: www.treatitqueer.org/product

List of Publications

Peer-reviewed articles

Giacomozzi, M., Brazelton, J., Jeswani, K., Ruumpol, D., Verdonk, P., Nap, A. (2025) Insights from focus groups with trans and gender diverse people with endometriosis: stories you tell, stories you don’t. 33(1) Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters. https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2025.2562682.

Giacomozzi, M., Ruumpol, D., De Leeuw, R., Van Mello, N., Krasinski, M., Cartwrigh, R., Flint, R., Spinnewijn, L., Verdonk, P., & Nap, A. (2025). Endometriosis among Transgender and Gender Diverse Patients Imaging Study (ETRIS). Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmig.2025.08.021. Published online; ahead of print.

Giacomozzi, M., Aubin, S. G., Castellano, E., Brazelton, J., Jahufer, M., Bouwens, J., Ruumpol, D., Jeswani, K., Mainetti, M., Muntinga, M., Verdonk, P., & Nap, A. W. (2025). It’s a Journey: A Graphic Medicine Exploration of Endometriosis and Gender Diversity. Journal of Participatory Research Methods, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.35844/001c.137016

Giacomozzi, M., Muntinga, M., & Pezaro, S. (2025). Commentary: Effective communication about pregnancy, birth, lactation, breastfeeding and newborn care: the importance of sexed language. Frontiers in Global Women S Health, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2024.1519979.

Marangoni, Z., Onghena, L., Giacomozzi, M., van Nieuwenhoven, Y., Pape E., van Ramshorst, G.H., (2025) Sexual health of LGBTQ+ patients undergoing colorectal surgery for benign disease and their experience with healthcare: a scoping review. Colorectal Disease. Published online; ahead of print.

Giacomozzi, M., Bouwens, J., Aubin, S. G., Pastoor, H., Verdonk, P., & Nap, A. (2024). Transgender and gender diverse individuals embodying endometriosis: a systematic review. Frontiers in Medicine, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1430154

Pavanello Decaro, S. P., Gemignani, M., Covolan, E. Z., Aubin, S. G., Prunas, A., & Giacomozzi, M. (2024). From Sex Education to Sexualities Education: Navigating the intersectionality of queer communities in Italy and the Netherlands. Journal of Homosexuality, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2024.2431265

Vissers, G., Giacomozzi, M., Verdurmen, W., Peek, R., & Nap, A. (2024). The role of fibrosis in endometriosis: a systematic review. Human Reproduction Update, 30(6), 706–750. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmae023

Giacomozzi, M., Aubin, S. G., & Brancaccio, M. T. (2022). Mapping accessibility to fertility preservation for trans masculine individuals in the Netherlands. LGBT Health, 9(6), 369–383. https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2021.0302

Gartner, F., Giacomozzi, M., & Helberg-Proctor, A. (2022). (Un)safety of LGBT+ asylum seekers in asylum accommodations in Germany. European Journal of Public Health, 32(Supplement_3). https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckac130.169

Giacomozzi, M., De La Torre, F. F., & Khalil, M. (2021). Standing up for your birth rights: An intersectional comparison of obstetric violence and birth positions between Quichua and Egyptian women. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 155(2), 247–259. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.13890

Textbook Chapters

Giacomozzi, M., & Nap, A. (2022). Surgical management of endometriosis-associated pain. The Global Library of Women S Medicine. https://doi.org/10.3843/glowm.417673

General publications

Wijbers, J., Giacomozzi, M. (2025, May). It’s a Journey: een visueel medisch verhaal over endometriose en genderdiversiteit. Buikspreker. 6-7

Wijbers, J., Giacomozzi, M. (2025, May). Meer aandacht voor de gezondheid van transgender en genderdiverse personen met endometriose. Buikspreker. 18-19

Asiel, Giacomozzi, M. (2024). It’s a Journey. A graphic medicine exploration of endometriosis and gender diversity. Spaghetti Publishing.

Meuleman, T., Van Amersfoort, J., Van Heesewijk, J., Giacomozzi, M., & Van Mello, N. (2023). Gynaecologie - meer dan alleen vrouwenzorg. Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Obstetrie & Gynaecologie, 23 (1), 28-32.

Wijbers, J., Giacomozzi, M. (2024, August). Tijd voor een open gesprek over seks. Buikspreker. 18-19

Giacomozzi, M. (2022, March). Als endometriose meer dan een “vrouwenziekte” is. Buikspreker. 12-13

Consulting

I am available to offer medical consultancy to companies, health organizations or NGOs. For example, I collaborate with companies wanting to make their products appealing to people of all genders, and with health organizations to make their services more accessible to the LGBTI+ community.

My general hourly rate is €150.

My hourly rate for NGOs with less than 50k income/year is €120.

“Expert statement/ Deskundigenverklaring”

Would you like to make an appointment for an “expert statement/deskundigenverklaring”? Please read the text below carefully.

I am BIG-registered and authorized to issue an “expert statement/deskundigenverklaring”. You need this statement if you want to change your legal name and gender (F to M, or M to F). To do this, you must have been registered in the Netherlands for at least 1 year.

If you only want to change your name, you must follow the "name change" procedure.

If you want an X, read here how that works:

Because the procedure for issuing the expert statement is a legal procedure and not a healthcare procedure, these costs are not reimbursed by your health insurance. However, some municipalities do cover the costs for you. Check with your municipality to see whether such a scheme exists.

The procedure for the expert statement costs €175. If your municipality does not reimburse this statement and you are unemployed, a single parent, or a refugee, you can contact me by email.

To make an appointment, send an email to maddalena.giacomozzi@treatitqueer.org. Please use the subject line: “Appointment expert statement.”

The appointment takes place online and lasts about one hour.

It may take up to 5 working days before I respond.

The waiting time to schedule an appointment is about 2–3 weeks.