HIV partner services for transgender women must address social and structural barriers unique to this population.
When a person receives a diagnosis of HIV, public health workers collect information about that person’s sexual and needle-sharing partners. Partners are notified of potential HIV exposure and offered HIV testing. CDC analyzed HIV partner services data submitted by 61 health departments from 2013 to 2017. During that time, 1,727 transgender women received a diagnosis of HIV. Fewer transgender women diagnosed with HIV were interviewed than the population of people diagnosed with HIV (72% and 81%). Fewer transgender women partners (71%) were notified of potential HIV exposure than all partners (77%), and fewer than half (47%) of these transgender women received an HIV test. Findings varied by age, race/ethnicity, and geography.
Read the MMWR to learn more.