Differential HIV risk for racial/ethnic minority trans∗female youths and socioeconomic disparities in housing, residential stability, and education

Objectives. We examined HIV prevalence and risk behaviors of 282 trans∗female youths aged 16 to 24 years participating in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, SHINE study from 2012 to 2013 to determine differences between racial/ethnic minority and White youths. Methods. We conducted the χ2 test to determine distributional differences between racial/ethnic minority and White participants in sociodemographic factors, HIV-related risk behaviors, and syndemic factors. Results. Of the trans∗female youths, 4.8% were HIV positive. Racial/ethnic minority and White trans∗female youths differed significantly in gender identity and sexual orientation. Racial/ethnic minority youths also had significantly lower educational attainment, were less likely to have lived with their parents of origin as a child, and were significantly more likely to engage in recent condomless anal intercourse than were Whites. Conclusions. Efforts to assess the impact of multiple-minority stress on racial/ minority trans∗female youths are needed imminently, and prevention efforts must addressmacrolevel disparities for trans∗female youths, especially those from racial/ethnic minority groups, to reduce these disparities and prevent incident cases of HIV.