HIV testing by transgender status at centers for disease control and prevention-funded sites in the United States, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands, 2009-2011

N. Habarta, G. Wang, M.S. Mulatu and N. Larish

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 9, 1917-1925

Abstract: Objectives. We examined HIV testing services, seropositivity, and the characteristics associated with newly identified, confirmed HIV-positive tests among transgender individuals. Methods. We analyzed data (2009-2011) using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression to examine the relationships between HIV positivity and sociodemographic and risk characteristics among male-to-female transgender individuals. Results. Most of the testing was conducted in females (51.1%), followed by males (48.7%) and transgender individuals (0.17%). Tests in male-to-female transgender individuals had the highest, newly identified confirmed HIV positivity (2.7%), followed by males (0.9%), female-to-male transgender individuals (0.5%), and females (0.2%). The associated characteristics with an HIV-positive test among male-to-female transgender individuals included ages 20 to 29 and 40 to 49 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4, 5.6 and AOR= 2.8; 95% CI = 1.3, 5.9, respectively), African American (AOR = 4.6; 95% CI = 2.7, 7.9) or Hispanic/Latino (AOR = 2.6; 95% CI = 1.5, 4.5) race/ethnicity, and reporting sex without condom within the past year (AOR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.3, 2.6), sex with an HIV-positive person (AOR = 1.5; 95% CI = 1.1, 2.0), or injection drug use (AOR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.3, 3.0). Conclusions. High levels of HIV positivity among transgender individuals, particularly male-to-female transgender individuals, underscore the necessity for targeted HIV prevention services that are responsive to the needs of this population.

Keywords: adult; female; HIV Infections; human; male; public health service; Puerto Rico; transgender; United States; Virgin Islands (U.S.), Adult; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.); Female; HIV Infections; Humans; Male; Puerto Rico; Transgendered Persons; United States; United States Virgin Islands (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2015.302659_9

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302659

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