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. 2018 Jan;108(1):128-130.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.304153. Epub 2017 Nov 21.

Characteristics of HIV-Positive Transgender Men Receiving Medical Care: United States, 2009-2014

Ansley Lemons  1 , Linda Beer  1 , Teresa Finlayson  1 , Donna Hubbard McCree  1 , Daniel Lentine  1 , R Luke Shouse  1 ; Medical Monitoring Project  1
Affiliations

Characteristics of HIV-Positive Transgender Men Receiving Medical Care: United States, 2009-2014

Ansley Lemons et al. Am J Public Health. 2018 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives: To present the first national estimate of the sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral characteristics of HIV-positive transgender men receiving medical care in the United States.

Methods: This analysis included pooled interview and medical record data from the 2009 to 2014 cycles of the Medical Monitoring Project, which used a 3-stage, probability-proportional-to-size sampling methodology.

Results: Transgender men accounted for 0.16% of all adults and 11% of all transgender adults receiving HIV medical care in the United States from 2009 to 2014. Of these HIV-positive transgender men receiving medical care, approximately 47% lived in poverty, 69% had at least 1 unmet ancillary service need, 23% met criteria for depression, 69% were virally suppressed at their last test, and 60% had sustained viral suppression over the previous 12 months.

Conclusions: Although they constitute a small proportion of all HIV-positive patients, more than 1 in 10 transgender HIV-positive patients were transgender men. Many experienced socioeconomic challenges, unmet needs for ancillary services, and suboptimal health outcomes. Attention to the challenges facing HIV-positive transgender men may be necessary to achieve the National HIV/AIDS Strategy goals of decreasing disparities and improving health outcomes among transgender persons.

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Comment in

  • Potential Misclassification of HIV-Positive Persons As Transgender Men.
    Wiewel EW, Harris AB, Xia Q, Daskalakis D. Wiewel EW, et al. Am J Public Health. 2018 Jul;108(7):e14. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304440. Am J Public Health. 2018. PMID: 29874500 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
  • Lemons et al. Respond.
    Lemons A, Beer L, Finlayson T, McCree DH, Lentine D, Shouse RL; Medical Monitoring Project. Lemons A, et al. Am J Public Health. 2018 Jul;108(7):e14-e15. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304441. Am J Public Health. 2018. PMID: 29874501 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

References

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    1. Grant JM, Mottet LA, Tanis J, Harrison J, Herman JL, Keisling M. Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; 2011.
    1. National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States: Updated to 2020. Washington, DC: White House Office of National AIDS Policy; July 2015.

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