Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a review

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(14)60833-3.pdf

HIV risk and preventive interventions in transgender women sex workers

Introduction Transgender populations have been underrepresented in HIV epidemiologic studies and consequently in HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs. Since 2012, there has been a dramatic increase in research focused on transgender people. Studies highlight the burden of HIV and risk determinants, including intersecting stigmas, as drivers of syndemics among transgender populations. This review synthesizes the most recent global epidemiology of HIV infection and describes current gaps in research and interventions to inform prioritization of HIV research for transgender populations. Methods A systematic review was conducted of the medical literature published between January 1, 2012 and November 30, 2015. The data focused on HIV prevalence, determinants of risk, and syndemics among transgender populations. Results Estimates varied dramatically by location and subpopulation. Transfeminine individuals have some of the highest concentrated HIV epidemics in the world with laboratory-confirmed prevalence up to 40%. Data were sparse among trans masculine individuals; however, they suggest potential increased risk for trans masculine men who have sex with men (MSM). No prevalence data were available for transgender people across Sub-Saharan Africa or Eastern Europe/Central Asia. Emerging data consistently support the association of syndemic conditions with HIV risk in transgender populations. Discussion Addressing syndemic conditions and gender-specific challenges is critical to ensure engagement and retention in HIV prevention by transgender populations. Future research should prioritize: filling knowledge gaps in HIV epidemiology; elucidating how stigma shapes syndemic factors to produce HIV and other deleterious effects on transgender health; and understanding how to effectively implement HIV interventions for transgender people.

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Global Epidemiology of HIV Infection and Related Syndemics Affecting Transgender People.

Transgender people are a diverse population aff ected by a range of negative health indicators across high-income, middle-income, and low-income settings. Studies consistently document a high prevalence of adverse health outcomes in this population, including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, mental health distress, and substance use and abuse. However, many other health areas remain understudied, population-based representative samples and longitudinal studies are few, and routine surveillance eff orts for transgender population health are scarce. The absence of survey items with which to identify transgender respondents in general surveys often restricts the availability of data with which to estimate the magnitude of health inequities and characterise the population-level health of transgender people globally. Despite the limitations, there are suffi cient data highlighting the unique biological, behavioural, social, and structural contextual factors surrounding health risks and resiliencies for transgender people. To mitigate these risks and foster resilience, a comprehensive approach is needed that includes gender affi rmation as a public health framework, improved health systems and access to health care informed by high quality data, and eff ective partnerships with local transgender communities to ensure responsiveness of and cultural specifi city in programming. Consideration of transgender health underscores the need to explicitly consider sex and gender pathways in epidemiological research and public health surveillance more broadly.

Transgender health 3 Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a review

Purpose of review
HIV management in PWUD is typically complex and challenging due to the presence of multiple medical and psychiatric comorbidities as well as social, physical, economic and legal factors that often disrupt the HIV continuum of care. In this review we describe the individual, health systems and societal barriers to HIV treatment access and care retention for people who use drugs. Additionally the clinical management of HIV infected PWUD is often complicated by the presence of multiple infectious and non-infectious comorbidities.

Challenges in managing HIV in people who use drugs.

Mobile unit (MU) HIV testing is an alternative method of providing healthcare access. We compared demographic and behavioural characteristics, HIV testing history and HIV prevalence between participants seeking testing at a MU vs. fixed clinic (FC) in Lima, Peru. Our analysis included men and transgender women (TW) in Lima aged ≥ 18 years old seeking HIV testing at their first visit to a community-based MU or FC from October 2007 to November 2009. HIV testing history, HIV serostatus and behavioural characteristics were analysed. A large percentage of MU attendees self-identified as transgender (13%) or heterosexual (41%). MU attendees were more likely to engage in transactional sex (24% MU vs. 10% FC, p < 0.001), use alcohol/drugs during their last sexual encounter (24% MU vs. 20% FC, p < 0.01) and/or be a first-time HIV tester (48% MU vs. 41% FC, p < 0.001). MU HIV prevalence was 9% overall and 5% among first-time testers (49% in TW and 11% in men who have sex with men [MSM] first-time testers). MU testing reached large numbers of at-risk (MSM/TW) populations engaged in unsafe sexual behaviours, making MU outreach a worthy complement to FC testing. Investigation into whether MU attendees would otherwise access HIV testing is warranted to determine the impact of MU testing.

/pdf/bringing-testing-to-the-people-benefits-of-mobile-unit-hiv-41ixjwjm5j.pdf

José Luis Castro

Papers

Bringing testing to the people – benefits of mobile unit HIV/syphilis testing in Lima, Peru, 2007–2009: