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Transgender Youth of Color and HIV
The YES Center Presents Informational Conference Call Series
National leaders in transgender health and services will be presenting on the following topics:
Transgender youth have been long overlooked for HIV prevention messages and referral into clinical care. Yet, transgender youth are significantly impacted by HIV. Several factors account for the high rates of HIV within the transgender community including: stigma and discrimination; drug and alcohol abuse; injection of hormones; survival sex; lack of access to medical care; economic hardships; and poor safer sex negotiating skills.Even with high HIV rates among transgenders, they selfidentify as having a low risk for HIV. However, a recent study of ethnicminority MTF transgender youth aged 1625 supports that these factors play an important role in HIV transmission. Participants in the study reported: a history of incarceration (37%); homelessness (18%); sex in exchange for resources (59%); forced sexual activity (52%); difficulty finding a job (63%); and difficulty accessing health care (41%). Of these transgender MTFs, 98% reported having sex with men; 49% had unprotected receptive anal intercourse; and 53% had sex under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Substance abuse was overwhelmingly marijuana use (71%) and alcohol (65%). Twentytwo percent (22%) of those in the study were HIV positive. These factors lead to low selfesteem, which increases substance abuse and other risky behaviors. Social marginalization, which these factors promote, can result in a lack of access to and denial of education, employment, and housing.Poverty and social marginalization lead to survival sex and a yearning for acceptance. The calls will be moderated by Ben Singer, who bring 15 years of experience in study of transgender issues, development of programs for transgender youth, and training of youth service providers. Please join us on the following dates to share information and discuss these issues: Remaining Conference Calls
The calls will be audio and video. Please follow the instructions below to join the conference calls by phone and to log onto the conference calls via the web. Participant Instructions
Audio: Call 18662955950. When asked for the participant code, enter: 8628941#. You will be asked for your name, then connected. An operator will moderate the calls and provide a time for participants to ask questions. Direct discussion between participants will not be possible due to the number of individuals on the call. Video: The slide presentations will be available for participants to view during the call. Follow these instructions:
If your computer has significant firewall protections and/or is an older model computer, you may have trouble connecting to the website. The website provides a systems check that can be accessed by entering the site and clicking on the join button and then clicking "Fast Web Systems Check". This can be done at any time before the conference call. Office of Public Health and Science. (2006). HIV/AIDS and Transgender Persons. Fact sheet accessed at: http://www.osophs.dhhs.gov/aids/factsheets/transgender.html . Test Your Knowledge
Finally, we are pleased to offer an invitation for all participants to visit the www.YESCenter.org website to test their knowledge of transgender issues (based on the conference calls) in order to receive a certificate of completion. An exam will be available on the YESCenter.org website after each call. Participants will receive their certificate sixweeks after the last call. You may complete one or all of the exams. The certificate will list which exams were completed. The YES Center and SPNS staff look forward to your participation on the call. If you have questions, please contact E. Blaine Parrish MA, Senior Research Scientist The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services Department of Health Policy Center for Health Services and Research 2021 K Street, NW Suite 800 Washington, D.C. 20006 - (202) 5300286. About the Moderator
Ben Singer is a PhD Candidate in English at Rutgers University working on an ethnographic dissertation: "On the Medical Margins: Transgender Risk Reduction in Public Health." Since 1993, he has worked as a consultant and trainer in the public health sector, specializing in reducing health disparities through improving access to culturally competent care. He integrates academic tools, leadership building and group facilitation skills with evidencebased research, case studies, harm reduction philosophy and diverse experience in multiple communities. He has applied these techniques to projects ranging from HIV/AIDS prevention to threshold reduction for access to healthcare services in government, academic, community and private settings. He has consulted on local, state and national levels with the CDC, HRSA, Philadelphia Department of Health, AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, and other health and human service organizations. Mr. Singer has applied his knowledge to the successful design and implementation of governmentfunded projects that includes founding the Transhealth Information Project (TIP), a program of Prevention Point Philadelphia and the Gay and Lesbian Latino AIDS Education Initiative, with funding by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From 20022004 he served as Director of TIP, contributing to program design, authoring curricula, managing staff, overseeing utilization of direct services, and presenting consumer based health information workshops, as well as technically assisting other local social service providers. In addition to presenting on transgender issues to government and communitybased organizations across the country, Mr. Singer most recently taught Transgender Queries in Medicine, Law, Politics and Culture at Barnard College, in New York City. Contact: bsinger@critpath.org and 2152430459 |
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The YES Center at George Washington University, in collaboration with the Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) funded initiative "Outreach, Care, and Prevention to Engage HIV Seropositive Young MSM of Color" would like to invite you to participate in a series on "Transgender Youth of Color and HIV."