UCLA

Transgender women, especially young transgender women of color, are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. Many interpersonal and structural factors such as discrimination, employment and housing instability, increased substance use and poor mental health, and limited affirming healthcare access have created barriers to adequate prevention methods, timely diagnosis of HIV, and HIV engagement and retention in care. State-level policies related to race and gender identity often influence interpersonal and structural barriers to HIV prevention and care and warrant further investigation. Therefore, the objective of this analysis is to examine the relationship between experiences of race- and gender-related stigma at the interpersonal and structural levels, and HIV risk among young adult, ages 16-29 years old, trans women and trans femmes in the United States. To achieve this objective, a multilevel modeling approach using a quantitative intersectional analytic framework is proposed.