We Are ALL Women
This project will be the first to investigate the barriers and facilitators to the inclusion of trans women in HIV care and support services for non-trans women. While there has been passionate advocacy around disaggregating trans women from the behavioral risk group "men who have sex with men" (MSM), little is known about serving trans women as women. Many women-focused HIV services have sought to be more trans-inclusive, but there is currently no data or guidance available. While trans-specific services are important to continue to develop, it is also critical to develop effective programming for trans women within existing programs. Many regions of the country do not have the resources nor the number of trans women to justify funding and developing separate trans-specific programming, but need to know how to effectively serve trans women living with HIV in their communities.
Research Questions
What are the barriers faced by women's HIV care and support services when considering and/or implementing programs and efforts that are inclusive of trans women and their unique needs? How can these barriers be addressed and overcome to create more inclusive HIV care and support efforts?
The specific aims of the pilot study are:
- To explore barriers and facilitators to the inclusion of transgender women living with HIV in HIV treatment and support services that have traditionally focused on non-transgender women
- To develop guidelines for existing programs and intervention development to maximize the effective inclusion of trans women living with HIV in women's services and programming
We Are ALL Women Team
- Principal Investigator: Jae Sevelius, PhD
- Project Coordinator: Caroline Watson