Our members, NAM, reflect on a study presented at the 9th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2017) about trans women’s HIV risk, why they are so vulnerable to HIV and who trans women are acquiring HIV from. The study conducted a phylogenetic analysis of San Francisco residents diagnosed with HIV between 2000 and 2015. The analysis looked at 5200 individuals’ HIV viruses and found that 275 (5.2%) of these viral sequences came from transgender women.
In response to this study NAM poses the questions; Who are trans women acquiring HIV from? And are trans women’s partners a hidden risk population?
You can find the full NAM article here and watch the presentation here, skip to 8:33 mins for the San Francisco study.
NAM works to change lives by sharing information about HIV and AIDS. Their aim is to provide independent, clear and accurate information on HIV and AIDS. They believe this enables individuals and communities affected by HIV to protect themselves, care for others, advocate for better services and challenge stigma and discrimination.