The Issues:
HIV/AIDS in People of Color and
Transgender Populations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has documented the highest number of new cases of HIV occurring in Latino and African-American populations of Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM). HIV/AIDS has become the leading cause of death for African Americans between the ages of 25-44. These trends attest to the compounding negative effects of multiple sources of disenfranchisement and discrimination.
Prevailing hostility to gender-variant people, coupled with the lack of anti-discrimination protections covering gender identity, conflate to decrease the health of the transgender community. High rates of poverty and unemployment leave some transgender persons with no discernable option but to engage in survival and/or commercial sex work. These women are at particularly high risk for HIV because of the risk of violence inherent in this work, and because they are financially induced to engage in barrier-free sex.
Health outcomes for transgender persons are also lowered by a lack of access to health insurance and culturally competent health care. Transgender persons routinely experience discrimination and barriers to obtaining medical services from hospitals, clinics, and private practitioners. Many providers treat transgender people only with great reluctance, sometimes pointedly harassing them and embarrassing them, or condoning harassing behavior on the part of other patients or clients. Many transgender people avoid seeking medical assistance, even in dire circumstances, for fear of humiliation or rejection. To learn more about transgender issues, click here.
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