Transgender women in the United States need better access to HIV prevention and treatment services, according to a new survey from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released ahead of National Transgender HIV Testing Day April 18.
According to the report, four out of 10 trans women surveyed in seven major U.S. cities, including San Francisco, are living with HIV. The prevalence rose to nearly two-thirds for Black trans women.
"I am disheartened to see the findings, but none of this was news to the trans community," San Francisco Health Commissioner Cecilia Chung of the Transgender Law Center told the Bay Area Reporter. "It took almost four decades to get a clear affirmation of our repeated message about the inequity trans women experience across all health services."