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Transgender health
Jun, 2024;9 (3): 232-240.

Comparing Stigma and HIV Outcomes Between Transgender and Cisgender Women Sex Workers Living with HIV in the Dominican Republic.

Tamar Goldenberg, Tahilin Karver, Deanna Kerrigan, Hoisex Gomez, Martha Perez, Yeycy Donastorg, Clare Barrington
Author Information
  1. Tamar Goldenberg: Department of Public Health Education, School of Health and Human Sciences, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.
  2. Tahilin Karver: Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA. ORCID
  3. Deanna Kerrigan: Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
  4. Hoisex Gomez: HIV Vaccine Research Unit, Instituto Dermatológico y Cirugía de Piel Dr. Huberto Bogaert Díaz, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
  5. Martha Perez: HIV Vaccine Research Unit, Instituto Dermatológico y Cirugía de Piel Dr. Huberto Bogaert Díaz, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
  6. Yeycy Donastorg: HIV Vaccine Research Unit, Instituto Dermatológico y Cirugía de Piel Dr. Huberto Bogaert Díaz, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
  7. Clare Barrington: Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
PMID: 39109259 DOI: 10.1089/trgh.2022.0099

Abstract

Purpose: Using an intersectionality framework, we compared stigma and HIV care and treatment outcomes across transgender and cisgender women sex workers living with HIV in the Dominican Republic (DR).
Methods: In 2018-2019, data were collected in Santo Domingo, DR, using interviewer-administered surveys among 211 cisgender women and 100 transgender women. We used -tests and chi-square tests to examine differences in sex work stigma, HIV stigma, and HIV care and treatment.
Results: Transgender participants reported more anticipated HIV stigma (mean=13.61, standard deviation [SD]=2.39) than cisgender participants (mean=12.96, SD=2.21; =0.018), but there were no statistically significant differences for internalized or enacted HIV stigma. Cisgender participants reported more anticipated sex work stigma (cisgender: mean=50.00, SD=9.22; transgender: mean=44.02, SD=9.54; <0.001), but transgender women reported more enacted (cisgender: mean=49.99, SD=9.11; transgender: mean=59.93, SD=4.89; <0.001) and internalized sex work stigma (cisgender: mean=50.00, SD=8.80; transgender: mean=57.84, SD=8.34; <0.001), with no significant differences in resistance to sex work stigma. Cisgender women were significantly more likely to have received HIV care (cisgender: 99.53%, transgender: 91.00%, <0.001), be currently taking antiretroviral therapy (cisgender: 96.21%, transgender: 84.00%, <0.001), and be virally suppressed (cisgender: 76.19%, transgender: 64.00%, =0.025).
Conclusions: Transgender participants consistently had poorer HIV care and treatment outcomes compared with cisgender participants. Differences in stigma experiences between transgender and cisgender participants depended on the type of stigma. Findings reflect the intersectional nature of distinct types and forms of stigma among sex workers. Understanding the shared and unique experiences of transgender and cisgender women will improve HIV care engagement and viral suppression.

Keywords

Dominican Republic HIV comparative analysis sex work stigma transgender

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Journal Article

Word Cloud

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