Syndemic Theory and HIV-related Risk Among Young Transgender Women: the Role of Multiple, Co-occurring Health Problems and Social Marginalization

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2012 Aug 10

PMID 22873480

Citations 214

Authors

Julia Brennan

Lisa M Kuhns

Amy K Johnson

Marvin Belzer

Erin C Wilson

Robert Garofalo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: We assessed whether multiple psychosocial factors are additive in their relationship to sexual risk behavior and self-reported HIV status (i.e., can be characterized as a syndemic) among young transgender women and the relationship of indicators of social marginalization to psychosocial factors.

Methods: Participants (n = 151) were aged 15 to 24 years and lived in Chicago or Los Angeles. We collected data on psychosocial factors (low self-esteem, polysubstance use, victimization related to transgender identity, and intimate partner violence) and social marginalization indicators (history of commercial sex work, homelessness, and incarceration) through an interviewer-administered survey.

Results: Syndemic factors were positively and additively related to sexual risk behavior and self-reported HIV infection. In addition, our syndemic index was significantly related to 2 indicators of social marginalization: a history of sex work and previous incarceration.

Conclusions: These findings provide evidence for a syndemic of co-occurring psychosocial and health problems in young transgender women, taking place in a context of social marginalization.

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