Limited data exist for transgender persons, especially transgender men living with HIV, which impedes efforts to improve their health and well-being. Surveillance systems designed to monitor health outcomes of the general population often lack adequate data about gender identity, making it difficult to distinguish between transgender and cisgender persons.
Invisible Men strives to bring visibility to the Transmasculine population in the HIV/AIDS arena. We want to avoid transmasculine individuals becoming the next wave of the epidemic.
The Center for HIV Identification, Prevention, and Treatment Services (CHIPTS)
A Regional Response to End the HIV Epidemic in CA (Jan 24 2020)
On Friday, January 24th, 2020, 150 community stakeholders, leaders, and county representatives attended the CHIPTS regional response meeting to end the HIV epidemic in CA at the LA Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The primary objectives of this meeting were to gather consensus from counties on collaborative opportunities to support Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative’s (EHE) efforts, identify resource needs to support these collaborations, and develop research questions to support counties in the implementation of best strategies to reach the EHE goals.
Luckie Alexander spoke about why there is a need to include transmasculine and in the conversations around HIV/AIDS.
(Video below)
Feb 14, 2019 National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Panel : HIV Commision
Luckie Alexander spoke on a panel about the dangers of not including transmasculine and non-binary folks in the conversation around HIV/AIDS and the disproportionate impact on the Black trans community.
Click here for the HIV Commission Meeting Minutes (See Pages 4-7)
Further Reading:
“Some trans men are situated within the gay community, one of the highest risk communities for HIV, yet there has been little research regarding the experience of risk for these transmen. The dynamics of acceptance and rejection between transmen and non-trans gay men impacted risk by compromising safety. Incorrect assumptions regarding transmen, non-trans gay men, and risk included beliefs that neither person could be at risk. Other aspects included the impact of testosterone on sexual behavior, the changed bodies of transmen, and sex work.”
Read more: School of Nursing and Health Professions, University of San Francisco
“Trans men who have sex with cis men (TMSM) may be just as likely to have condomless vaginal and anal sex with people who are living with HIV or people whose HIV status is unknown as cis men who have sex with other cis men. If cis men are a priority for HIV prevention and sexual health care, so too should TMSM. “
Read more: San Francisco AIDS Foundation
“Rates of HIV and sexual risk behaviors among transmen are also not well understood because
transmen are often assumed to be primarily having sex with non-trans women. However, transmen, like other men, can be of any sexual orientation and may have sex with different types of partners, including (but not limited to) non-trans men, transgender women, and transgender men.”
Invisible Men 