Huyen Nguyen1,2, Benjamin Hampel1,3, David Garcia Nuñez4, Manuel Battegay5, Anna Hachfeld6, Enos Bernasconi7, Alexandra Calmy8, Matthias Cavassini9, Pietro Vernazza10, Jacques Fellay11, Hannes Rudolph12, Michael Huber2, Karoline Leuzinger13, Matthieu Perreau14, Alexandra Scherrer1, Alban Nicolas Ramette6, Sabine Yerly8, Huldrych F Günthard1,2, Roger D Kouyos1,2, Katharina Kusejko1,2. 1. Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 2. Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 3. Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Public Health Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 4. Centre for Gender Variance, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 5. Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 6. Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. 7. Division of Infectious Diseases, Regional Hospital Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland. 8. Laboratory of Virology and Division of Infectious Diseases, Geneva University Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland. 9. Division of Infectious Diseases, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland. 10. Division of Infectious Diseases, Cantonal Hospital St Gallen, St Gallen, Switzerland. 11. School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland. 12. Transgender Network Switzerland, Checkpoint Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. 13. Clinical Virology Division, Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 14. Department of Immunology and Allergy, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: As trans women are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic, and are still understudied, we aimed to identify and characterize the trans women in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS). METHODS: A combination of criteria from pre-existing cohort data was used to identify trans women. Information on socioeconomic factors, clinical data, risk behaviors, and mental health was collected. We also described their phylogenetic patterns within HIV transmission networks in relation to other risk groups. RESULTS: We identified 89 trans women of a total 20 925 cohort participants. Trans women were much more likely to be Asian (30.3%) and Hispanic (15.7%) than men who have sex with men (MSM) (2.5% and 4.1%; P < .001) and cis heterosexual (HET) women (7.0% and 3.3%; P < .001). Trans women were more similar to cis HET women in some measures like educational level (postsecondary education attainment: 22.6% and 20.7% [P = .574] vs 46.5% for MSM [P < .001]), while being more similar to MSM for measures like prior syphilis diagnosis (36.0% and 44.0% [P = .170] vs 6.7% for cis HET women [P < .001]). 11.2% of trans women have been previously hospitalized for psychological reasons compared with 4.2% of MSM (P = .004) and 5.1% of cis HET women (P = .025). Analysis of transmission clusters containing trans women suggested greater affinity within the transmission networks to MSM compared with cis HET women. CONCLUSIONS: Trans women are epidemiologically distinct in the setting of the Swiss HIV epidemic, warranting better identification and study to better serve this underserved risk group.
BACKGROUND: As trans women are disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic, and are still understudied, we aimed to identify and characterize the trans women in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS). METHODS: A combination of criteria from pre-existing cohort data was used to identify trans women. Information on socioeconomic factors, clinical data, risk behaviors, and mental health was collected. We also described their phylogenetic patterns within HIV transmission networks in relation to other risk groups. RESULTS: We identified 89 trans women of a total 20 925 cohort participants. Trans women were much more likely to be Asian (30.3%) and Hispanic (15.7%) than men who have sex with men (MSM) (2.5% and 4.1%; P < .001) and cis heterosexual (HET) women (7.0% and 3.3%; P < .001). Trans women were more similar to cis HET women in some measures like educational level (postsecondary education attainment: 22.6% and 20.7% [P = .574] vs 46.5% for MSM [P < .001]), while being more similar to MSM for measures like prior syphilis diagnosis (36.0% and 44.0% [P = .170] vs 6.7% for cis HET women [P < .001]). 11.2% of trans women have been previously hospitalized for psychological reasons compared with 4.2% of MSM (P = .004) and 5.1% of cis HET women (P = .025). Analysis of transmission clusters containing trans women suggested greater affinity within the transmission networks to MSM compared with cis HET women. CONCLUSIONS: Trans women are epidemiologically distinct in the setting of the Swiss HIV epidemic, warranting better identification and study to better serve this underserved risk group.
Authors: Eva Van Caenegem; Katrien Wierckx; Els Elaut; Ann Buysse; Alexis Dewaele; Filip Van Nieuwerburgh; Griet De Cuypere; Guy T'Sjoen Journal: Arch Sex Behav Date: 2015-01-15
Authors: J Arcelus; W P Bouman; W Van Den Noortgate; L Claes; G Witcomb; F Fernandez-Aranda Journal: Eur Psychiatry Date: 2015-05-26 Impact factor: 5.361
Authors: Maite Gutiérrez; Pilar Tajada; Amparo Alvarez; Rosa De Julián; Margarita Baquero; Vincent Soriano; Africa Holguín Journal: J Med Virol Date: 2004-12 Impact factor: 2.327
Authors: Jesus Ramirez-Valles; Dalia Garcia; Richard T Campbell; Rafael M Diaz; Douglas D Heckathorn Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2008-04-29 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Tiziana Jäggi; Lena Jellestad; Salvatore Corbisiero; Dirk J Schaefer; Josef Jenewein; Andres Schneeberger; Annette Kuhn; David Garcia Nuñez Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2018-04-19 Impact factor: 3.411
Authors: Adiba Hassan; Joel O Wertheim; Jill S Blumenthal; Eric Ellorin; Michael P Dube; Katya Corado; David J Moore; Sheldon R Morris Journal: Medicine (Baltimore) Date: 2019-12 Impact factor: 1.817