First Ever Transgender HIV Testing Day Observed

By Eric Brus

On Monday, April 18, the inaugural National Transgender HIV Testing Day (NTHTD) was observed in the United States. Sponsored by the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health at the University of California-San Francisco, the day focused on increasing HIV testing, prevention, and treatment among transgender people -- who are disproportionately affected by HIV.

One recent study indicated that about one in five (22 percent) U.S. transgender women living are living with HIV. Another analysis estimated that more than half (56 percent) of African American transgender women are HIV-positive.

"Because transgender people, especially transgender women, are at high risk for acquiring HIV, there is an urgent need to expand HIV testing -- the critical first step along the continuum of care -- and prevention and treatment initiatives to reach the transgender community," noted Jonathan Mermin, director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. "CDC and other organizations are accelerating the implementation of high-impact HIV prevention strategies for the transgender community."

In conjunction with NTHTD, the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health has released its new Trans HIV Testing Toolkit, which is designed to support local efforts to increase knowledge of HIV status and help educate health care providers on the testing needs of the transgender community. The 98-page document includes the following educational modules:

� Get the facts about trans people and HIV;
� HIV testing and enhanced communication approaches with trans people;
� Building capacity to increase HIV testing efforts for trans people;
� Community engagement and the 2016 National Transgender HIV Testing Day; and
� Resources for service providers and community-based organizations.

In related news, the federal blog.AIDS.gov site published two blog posts focusing on health in the transgender community this month: New Federal Actions to Address HIV in the Transgender Community, by Richard Wolitski, acting director of the HHS Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy, and colleagues; and The White House: Our Commitment to Improving Outcomes in the Transgender Community, by Amy Lansky, acting director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy.

Positively Trans Survey

The Transgender Law Center (TLC) has recently published its first report of findings from the Positively Trans (T+) survey, a community-led project focusing on the lives and experiences of transgender people in the U.S. living with HIV. TLC conducted the T+ online survey and needs assessment during the summer of 2015 to identify the needs and advocacy priorities of HIV+ transgender persons.

More than 400 people responded to at least part to the survey, with complete responses coming from 157 respondents. The analysis included in the report focuses on data from persons who completed the full survey. Of this group, the majority were female-identified U.S. citizens making less than $23,000 per year -- and nearly half earned less than $12,000 per year. More than 40 percent were currently living in the South. More than two-fifths (41 percent) of the T+ survey respondents reported some history of incarceration; among those who had been incarcerated, more than half had gone at least 6 months without medical care since their diagnosis.

The T+ survey also asked respondents about their top health and legal concerns, the barriers to their health and well-being, and their experience with discrimination and denial of healthcare related to their gender identity or HIV status. The respondents' top five health priorities were: 1) gender affirming and non-discriminatory health care; 2) hormone therapy and side effects; 3) mental health care, including trauma recovery; 4) personal care, including nutrition and healthy living; and 5) antiretroviral therapy and side effects.

Their top five legal concerns were: 1) HIV-related discrimination; 2) employment discrimination; 3) discrimination in public accommodations; 4) identification documents; and 5) housing discrimination. In conjunction with the report,

TLC has posted a series of videos on the life experiences of transgender people living with and affected by HIV. The first five videos focus on Black transgender women living in the South.