AEGiS-14IAC: Gender Identity and HIV Risk: reaching the transgender community via the Internet.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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Gender Identity and HIV Risk: reaching the transgender community via the Internet.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. TuOrE1161)

Bockting W, Gurak L, Miner M, Robinson B, Rosser BR, Raman S, Coleman E
Program in Human Sexuality, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States

BACKGROUND: Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, this study examines the influence of gender identity and role, related social stigma, and internalized transphobia on HIV risk and protective behaviors.

METHODS: Due to challenges with their gender identity, transgender individuals have a heightened awareness of how gender attributions and expectations affect HIV risk behavior, both in the area of sexuality and substance use. A sample of 600 American transgender individuals will be recruited to participate in an Internet-based survey. Of these 600, 60 participants will be randomly selected to take part in an in-depth online interview.

RESULTS: Preliminary research with a sample of 105 transgender workshop participants indicated that individuals who reported higher levels of discrimination because of their transgender identity and lower levels of social support were 1.4 times more likely to have unsafe sex (p=.050, 95% CI (1.0, 1.8). A trend was found for participants who are more "out" about their transgender identity (to family, friends, or coworkers) to be 1.2 times less likely to have unsafe sex (p=.075, 95% CI (1.0-1.4). These results lead to the construct of internalized transphobia being defined and operationalized for further study using the online sample.

CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the gender-related factors that influence HIV risk and protective behaviors will benefit the development of targeted interventions to reduce the risk of HIV among transgender individuals and their partners as well as to address gender as a contextual risk factor among other populations. In addition, this study serves as a case-example of the use of the Internet to reach a marginalized population for HIV prevention research.

Keywords: AEGIS, Sex Behavior, Gender Identity, Risk-Taking, Safe Sex, Internet, HIV Infections, Risk Factors, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, Data CollectionKWDaegis,sexbehavior,genderidentity,risk-taking,safesex,internet,hivinfections,riskfactors,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,hivseropositivity,datacollection

020707
TuOrE1161

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.