title: HIV risk behaviors in the U.S. transgender population: prevalence and predictors in a large internet sample.
abstract: To study the influence of gender on HIV risk, a sample of the U.S. transgender population (N = 1,229) was recruited via the Internet. HIV risk and prevalence were lower than reported in prior studies of localized, urban samples but higher than the overall U.S. population. Findings suggest that gender nonconformity alone does not itself result in markedly higher HIV risk. Sex with nontransgender men emerged as the strongest independent predictor of unsafe sex for both male-to-female (MtF) and female-to-male (FtM) participants. These sexual relationships constitute a process that may either affirm or problematize gender identity and sexual orientation, with different emphases for MtFs and FtMs, respectively.
authors.affiliation: a Program in Human Sexuality, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Medical School , University of Minnesota , Minneapolis , Minnesota , USA.
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.forename: Rebecca Swinburne
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Romine
authors.forename: Walter O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Bockting
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000635:transmission*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D063106:Transgender Persons / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D047568:Unsafe Sex; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: HIV; Internet; United States; gender identity; sexual orientation; transgender; unprotected sex