Transgender women avoiding HIV treatment.

PositionMedication

Transgender women--those whose birth certificates indicate male sex but who identify as women--are a key population for HIV prevention and treatment efforts. However, a UCLA study study reveals that, among transgender women in Los Angeles, Calif., more than half of those living with HIV were worried that taking both antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the treatment of HIV and feminizing hormone therapy (HT) may be associated with harmful drug interactions, about which little is clinically understood. Many in the surveyed group cited these concerns as a reason for not taking anti-HIV medications, HT, or both as prescribed by a healthcare professional.

This finding is important because early and consistent use of effective anti-HIV medications prevents HIV-related health problems and transmission of the virus to a sexual partner.

Transgender women have a high incidence of HIV acquisition: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga., a meta-analysis estimated that 22% percent of transgender women were living with HIV.

"Despite all indications that transgender women are a critical population in HIV care, very...

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