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Editorial
. 2022 Feb 1;49(2):e45-e49.
doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000001533.

Erasure and Health Equity Implications of Using Binary Male/Female Categories in Sexual Health Research and Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Sexually Transmitted Infection Surveillance: Recommendations for Transgender-Inclusive Data Collection and Reporting

Diana M Tordoff  1 , Brian Minalga  2 , Bennie Beck Gross  3 , Aleks Martin  4 , Billy Caracciolo  3 , Lindley A Barbee, Jennifer E Balkus  1 , Christine M Khosropour  1
Affiliations
Editorial

Erasure and Health Equity Implications of Using Binary Male/Female Categories in Sexual Health Research and Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Sexually Transmitted Infection Surveillance: Recommendations for Transgender-Inclusive Data Collection and Reporting

Diana M Tordoff et al. Sex Transm Dis. .
No abstract available

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest and Sources of Funding: D.M.T. receives support from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (Award Number F31AI152542). L.A.B. and C.M.K. have received research support, unrelated to this work, from Hologic. All other authors have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Sample Two-Step Question
The wording for this sample two-step question is adapted from the NIAID’s Division of AIDS Cross-Network Transgender Working Group Recommendations.39s 1 In some settings, it may also be important to include additional indigenous and culturally specific response options, such as third-gender, hijra, fa’afafine, and mahu. 2 Emerging literature suggests that some trans and non-binary people oppose the sex assigned at birth question and propose alternatives such as explicitly asking “Do you identify as transgender?” and/or querying anatomy when necessary.45–47s 3 Intersex identity may be best ascertained using a separate question since intersex individuals are often assigned a male or female sex at birth, underscoring the sociocultural construction of binary “sex” categories.45s
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine. Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI+ Populations. Published online 2020. doi:10.17226/25877 - DOI - PubMed
    1. National Institutes of Health Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office. Strategic Plan to Advance Research on the Health and Well-Being of Sexual & Gender Minorities.; 2020.
    1. Meerwijk EL, Sevelius JM. Transgender Population Size in the United States: a Meta-Regression of Population-Based Probability Samples. Am J Public Heal. 2017;107(2):216. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Flores AR, Herman JL, Gates GJ, Brown TNT. How Many Adults Identify as Transgender in the United States?; 2016. Accessed November 10, 2018. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/How-Many-Adult...
    1. Wilson BD, Meyer IH. Nonbinary LGBTQ Adults in the United States.; 2021. doi:10.1037/sgd0000384 - DOI

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