Abstract
Purpose: Transgender youth are at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but their rates of screening are unknown. This study sought to quantify HIV and other STI testing levels and to examine variations in testing levels across three categories of gender identity: transgender men, transgender women, and nonbinary individuals.Methods: Between June 2017 and June 2018, 186 transgender youth aged 15–24 years were recruited into a randomized trial of home HIV testing supplemented with telehealth-based counseling. Information on sociodemographics, health care utilization, sexual activity, stress and resilience, and history of HIV and other STI testing was obtained. Multivariable logistic regression models were formulated to identify variations in testing for HIV and other STIs across gender identities.Results: Twenty-eight of 186 participants (15.1%) reported testing for HIV in the past year, and 42 (22.6%) reported testing for other STIs. Transgender women were less likely to have been tested for HIV (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03–0.78) and other STIs (aOR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.11–0.99), but nonbinary individuals were equally likely to have been tested compared with transgender men. Participants who agreed that their health care provider is knowledgeable about transgender health issues were thrice as likely to have been tested for HIV (aOR: 3.29, 95% CI: 1.36–7.97) and other STIs (aOR: 3.05, 95% CI: 1.40–6.63) compared with those who disagreed.Conclusion: Low levels of testing among transgender youth highlight the exigency of improving gender- and age-appropriate HIV and other STI prevention services. Given that provider knowledge of transgender health issues was strongly associated with testing, training health care providers in transgender-related care could prove beneficial.
Highlights
Transgender persons are estimated to comprise 0.4% of the US population,[1] but represent a diverse community with a broad spectrum of sexual identities and healthinfluencing behaviors
The trial was ongoing at the time of submitting this article, but results pertaining to whether the addition of telehealth-based counseling to rapid home human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing improves screening rates, reduces sexual risk behaviors, and enhances linkage to care for newly diagnosed HIV-positive transgender youth will be published shortly
The current study helps address a significant knowledge gap regarding the prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) testing among sexually active transgender youth
Summary
Transgender persons are estimated to comprise 0.4% of the US population,[1] but represent a diverse community with a broad spectrum of sexual identities and healthinfluencing behaviors.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have