Education Packet
Transgender People and HIV – This packet is a compilation of recent fact sheets and other resources. You may wish to customize it to meet the needs or interests of particular groups, such as event participants, providers, patients, clients, or the general public. So please feel free to distribute all or part of this packet as either a printout or PDF.
HIV-Specific Resources
HIV and Transgender Communities (CDC) – This issue brief summarizes current knowledge about HIV in transgender communities and ongoing efforts to improve HIV data for this population group. The brief identifies several systemic factors that contribute to the HIV epidemic among transgender people. It also provides an overview of CDC’s efforts to prevent HIV among transgender people, as well as an extensive reference list.
HIV and Transgender People (CDC) – This web page includes basic information about new HIV diagnoses among transgender people, as well as links to additional pages with more detailed information on the following topics about HIV and transgender people: terminology, HIV testing, HIV prevention, HIV diagnoses, HIV prevalence, viral suppression, prevention challenges, and what CDC is doing to address HIV among transgender people. Also available in Spanish.
Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2020 (CDC) – This surveillance report includes detailed information about new HIV diagnoses, prevalence, and deaths among transgender persons. Breakdowns are also provided by age, race/ethnicity, transmission category, and geographic region. The report includes a series of Special Focus Profiles highlighting six populations of particular interest to HIV prevention programs in state and local health departments, including transgender persons. In addition, Tables 4a, 4b, 10b, 14a, 14b, 18a, and 18b focus specifically on HIV diagnoses, prevalence, and deaths among transgender persons.
Monitoring Selected National HIV Prevention and Care Objectives by Using HIV Surveillance Data: United States and 6 Dependent Areas, 2020 (CDC) – This report presents the results of focused analyses of U.S. HIV surveillance data to measure progress toward ending the HIV epidemic. The report also includes a series of Special Focus Profiles highlighting six populations of particular interest to HIV prevention programs in state and local health departments, including transgender persons and persons of additional gender identity. For some measures, data are broken down by gender, as well as age, race/ethnicity, transmission category, and area of residence.
HIV Infection, Risk, Prevention, and Testing Behaviors Among Transgender Women: National HIV Behavioral Surveillance – 7 U.S. Cities, 2019-2020 (CDC) – This report examines HIV prevalence, HIV testing rates, sexual behaviors, receipt of HIV prevention, and gender-affirming medical treatment among transgender women surveyed in the following major U.S. cities: Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Transgender Clients: Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, 2020 (Health Resources and Services Administration) – This fact sheet summarizes selected demographic characteristics of transgender clients in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP). About 2% of the nearly 562,000 RWHAP clients in 2020 were transgender. Among transgender clients, 10% have unstable housing, nearly three-quarters (76%) lived at or below the federal poverty level, and 85% were virally suppressed. More detailed information is provided about these and other demographic characteristics. A related slide deck provides an overview of key data for transgender RWHAP clients in a series of graphs.
HIV Prevention and Care for Transgender People (CDC) – The Transforming Health initiative and associated website provides information and materials for healthcare providers, whole-care teams, social service providers, and transgender people, with the goal of reducing new HIV infections and improving the health of transgender people who are living with HIV. The site has links to the following resources:
- Patient-Centered Care for Transgender People: Recommended Practices for Health Care Settings
- Collecting Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Information
- Taking a Sexual History
- HIV Testing, Prevention, and Prevention for Transgender People
- Accessing the Delivering HIV Prevention and Care to Transgender People CME/CEU Program
TargetHIV: Transgender People (HRSA RWHAP) – This resource page provides data on viral suppression among transgender people served by the RWHAP, as well as links to related news and resources, including:
- SPNS Transgender Women of Color Initiative Intervention Manuals, which focus on linking to, and retention in, high-quality HIV care; and
- end+disparities ECHO Collaborative, which was a national initiative to reduce health disparities among four disproportionately affected HIV subpopulations, including transgender people.
Transgender HIV/AIDS Health Services Best Practices – Updated 2015 (San Francisco Department of Public Health) – This 38-page manual provides background information and introduces key concepts related to transgender HIV services; outlines ten best practices in culturally competent care for transgender patients and clients; provides recommendations for how these practices can be operationalized and success measured; and refers readers to additional training, literature, and resources.
Infographics on HIV Among Transgender Persons (AIDSVu) – AIDSVu is an interactive online mapping tool that visualizes the impact of the HIV epidemic on different population groups and regions, states, and cities across the United States. AIDSVu’s transgender persons and HIV infographic series includes the following:
- Disproportional Impact of HIV on Black and Hispanic/Latina Transgender Women
- Poverty Rates Among Transgender Women and Men with HIV
- Age Distribution of Transgender Women with HIV
- Rates of HIV Viral Suppression Among Transgender Men and Women
- Percentage of Transgender Women Living with HIV
- HIV Prevalence Among Transgender Women in Seven Major Cities
- Linkage to HIV Care After Diagnosis Among Transgender Women
Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, 2021 (CDC, August 2021) – These guidelines include recommendations for STI treatment and taking a sexual history. Population-specific information is also provided for several groups, including transgender and gender-diverse persons.
The Role of Housing in Ending the HIV Epidemic (CDC) – This issue brief focuses on the importance of housing for people living with, or at risk for, HIV infection. It also summarizes data on the high rates of housing instability among several groups that are disproportionally affected by HIV, including transgender and gender-nonconforming people.
Selected Resources from AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETCs)
National HIV Curriculum: HIV in Sexual and Gender Minority Populations (AIDS Education and Training Center, University of Washington, and other partners, updated 2020) – This is the seventh lesson in the Curriculum’s Key Populations module. It includes detailed information on many topics, including:
- Background
- Terminology
- Medical Care for LGBT Persons
- Transgender Women
- Transgender Men
- Cisgender Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)
- Cisgender Women Who Have Sex with Women (WSW)
18th Annual Conference on HIV/AIDS and Aging (New England AETC, September 2022) – This webinar covers many issues related to HIV and aging, including long-term survival, primary prevention, PEP, PrEP, transgender health, oral health, mental health, and substance use.
Meeting the Vaccine Needs of the LGTBQ+ Population Living with HIV (Pacific AETC, July 2022) – This presentation reviews why vaccinations are important for LGBTQ+ people with HIV, and why it is important to apply cultural humility when offering HIV care and prevention services specific to this population.
Clinician and Community Perspectives on HIV Prevention and Care for Trans and Gender Expansive (TGE) Communities (Pacific AETC, April 2022) – This presentation reviews current HIV data on transgender and gender expansive populations in California and in the U.S.?, and describes approaches to HIV prevention, treatment, and care for transgender and gender expansive populations.
Coming Home: Women, Race, Social Justice & HIV (Midwest AETC, April 2022) – This training reviews recent developments, trends, interventions, research, and social justice initiatives needed to support women with HIV who are justice-involved.
The State of Mental Health for People of Color with HIV in the LGBTQ+ Community during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Northeast/Caribbean AETC, December 2021) – These training slides cover the combined impact of HIV and COVID-19 on LGBTQ+ people of color.
HIV Stigma and LGBT Communities (Pacific AETC, April 2021) – These training slides explore the current landscape of HIV stigmas in LGBT healthcare, how these stigmas can act as barriers to care, and culturally appropriate models and practices that address HIV-related stigmas.
Mental Health for Transgender and Gender-Diverse People (New England AETC, March 2021) – This webinar covers: mental health inequities across diagnostic categories and HIV risk within a gender minority stress framework; culturally responsive tailoring of evidence-based clinical practices; and strategies for building inclusive, affirming, and trauma-informed environments within healthcare organizations to optimize mental health and HIV-related outcomes.
New Pandemic, Old Inequities: Impacts of COVID-19 and HIV on Marginalized Populations (MidAtlantic AETC, Pacific AETC, and AETC National Coordinating Resource Center, March 2021) – This webinar covers “intersectional structural discrimination and its relevance and context in the landscape of HIV and COVID-19 as it pertains to the health and wellbeing of marginalized populations, particularly LGBTQ+ and racial/ethnic minority populations.”
Selected Recent Reports from CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Each of these recent reports includes a discussion of racial/ethnic disparities in HIV testing, prevention, care, or other health issues, including data for transgender people.
HIV Testing Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic – United States, 2019-2020
Other Transgender Health Resources
Caring for Transgender People with Severe Mental Illness (National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center) – Transgender people, like the general population, can suffer from a variety of common and rare severe mental health illnesses. This issue brief covers recommendations on providing care for this high-risk population.
Transgender Persons (CDC) – This is a compilation of resources and fact sheets related to transgender health. It includes links to organizations serving transgender persons, health information specifically for transgender persons, and resources about transgender health for healthcare providers and public health professionals.
University of California-San Francisco’s Center of Excellence for Transgender Health (CoE) – CoE’s website includes many resources on transgender health in keeping with its mission to “increase access to comprehensive, effective, and affirming health care services for transgender and gender diverse communities.” These include fact sheets in English and Spanish, reports and recommendations, and courses and other resources for online learning.
National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center – This program of The Fenway Institute provides educational programs, resources, and consultation to health care organizations with the goal of optimizing quality, cost-effective health care for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and all sexual and gender minority (LGBTQIA+) people.
LGBTQIA+ – This resource has a list of articles, trainings, and online publications to help promote education and awareness of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Compiled by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Resource Center at the University of California-San Francisco.
Youth Access to Gender Affirming Care: The Federal and State Policy Landscape (Kaiser Family Foundation) – This issue brief examines the current state and federal policy landscape concerning gender affirming services for youth and the implications of restrictive state laws that, as of mid-2022, had been recently enacted in four states and were under consideration in 15 states.
The contents listed on this page are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, the New England AIDS Education and Training Center.