%0 Generic
%9 Master's Thesis
%A Morozumi, Kalene
%D 2017
%F pittir:30570
%K transgender women, HIV
%T HIV testing behaviors and discrimination in a medical setting among transgender women(TGW)of color in the United States: understanding the effect on HIV testing frequency
%U http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/30570/
%X Public Health Significance: HIV testing is an integral part of reducing new HIV infections in the United States, and needs to be increased among high-risk populations. A significant portion of transgender women (TGW) of color may not be aware of their HIV positive status, indicating a need to increase HIV testing. This is difficult because TGW of color are poorly represented in research and are often not targeted specifically by interventions.   Methods: Data for this analysis came from Promoting Our Worth, Equality, and Resilience (POWER). In 2014 and 2015, POWER recruited Black men who have sex with men (MSM) as well as TGW of color at Black Pride events in Philadelphia, PA; Houston, TX; Washington, D.C.; Detroit, MI; Memphis, TN; and Atlanta; GA. This analysis includes data from 304 transgender women.  Results: Of TGW of color who did not self-report being HIV positive and had received a HIV test in their lifetime, 80.11% had received a HIV test in the previous six months, while 19.89% had not received a HIV test in the previous six months. Out of the entire sample, 30 individuals had never received a HIV test in their lifetime. Age was found to be negatively associated with receiving a HIV test in the previous six months (AOR=0.93; 95% CI 0.88, 0.99).   Conclusion: Understanding the complex social and structural factors that influence decisions regarding HIV testing behaviors among TGW of color will be critical to developing effective interventions targeted for TGW of color. Overall, more research is needed to better understand the factors, barriers, and facilitators of HIV testing, and how the interactions between all three influence HIV testing decisions among TGW of color in the United States.