TechStep was a technology-based trial, with a stepped care approach, to reduce sexual risks and increase PrEP uptake among transgender and gender expansive youth and young adults (15-24 years old). From October 2019 to September 2021, 254 participants were randomized into: 1) Text (n = 82), or 2) Webapp (n = 87), or 3) Control (n = 85). At the 3-month follow-up assessment, those randomized to Text and Webapp and did not demonstrate improvement on primary outcomes were re-randomized to receive virtual eCoaching (Text + or Webapp +), or to remain in their initial condition without eCoaching.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSexual minority men of color report intimate partner violence (IPV) and substance use at elevated rates compared to heterosexual peers, but little is known about how types (physical/sexual, controlling, monitoring, emotional) of perpetration and victimization are connected to types of substance use. Associations between past-6-month IPV experiences and substance use (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, poppers, cocaine) were examined among sexual minority men (N = 414; 18-27 years). IPV victimization and perpetration were reported by 22% and 14% of the sample.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInteractive communications technologies facilitate identity formation and socio-sexual connection among transgender and gender-diverse young people. However, within their communities, variations in technology use along ethno-racial, sexual and gendered lines, and as facilitators of sexual resilience during the early COVID-19 pandemic, remain under-studied. Among = 230 transgender and gender-diverse young adults, surveyed between October 2020 and September 2021, latent class analyses characterised participants by preferred functional affordances, such as finding dates, sex and friends (Model 1), and by simultaneous account-keeping across social, dating and 'hookup' apps (Model 2).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: While there is growing research considering the experiences of transgender youth whose identities align with the gender binary, especially among young trans women, there are significantly fewer studies that accurately capture data about nonbinary youth, and even fewer studies capturing the experiences of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth of color. The purpose of this research was to assess the prevalence of sexual health behaviors, mental health challenges, substance use, and healthcare utilization among Black/African American, Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, indigenous and multi-racial/ethnic TGD youth, who have been largely underrepresented in research.
Methods: A total of 108 TGD youth ages 16-24 were recruited into the Trans Youth of Color Study (TRUTH).
Background: Growing research on transgender youth is accounting for the variety of ways in which young people define their genders and sexualities. Because of this growing representation, more research is needed to understand how intersectional identities and stigma affect risk for HIV acquisition along the HIV care continuum and engagement in mental and physical health care. Little is known about accessibility to HIV-related prevention services of nonbinary and transmasculine youth, and further understanding of the impacts on transfeminine people-those who have historically faced the highest prevalence of HIV positivity-is crucial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: As we enter the fifth decade of the AIDS epidemic, health researchers and AIDS activists reflect both on the progress that has been made and the importance of continued prevention efforts for those most at risk. As HIV infection rates continue to fluctuate across communities, a trend has emerged with new HIV infections becoming increasingly concentrated-with cascading effects-among people aged <30 years, from marginalized racial and ethnic groups, and who are sexual or gender minorities.
Objective: In this paper, we discuss the renewal of the Healthy Young Men's (HYM) Cohort Study and the addition of a subcohort-TRUTH: A Transgender Youth of Color Study.
We estimated the association between gender and sexual identities, and engagement in exchange and survival sex and seeking these partners via dating apps or websites, within a sample of homeless youth. In 2017, 253 homeless youth were interviewed from three different drop-in centers in Los Angeles. Multivariable regression analyses assessed associations between gender/sexual identity, and exchange and survival sex, adjusting for demographic characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCommercial sex venues (CSVs) and public sex environments (PSEs) offer men who have sex with men (MSM) sexual privacy and anonymity. Sociodemographic characteristics (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study evaluated whether a history of sexual abuse could differentiate negative health consequences among men who have sex with men (MSM; N=148) enrolled in a risk counseling program. Over half (51.4%) reported an experience of sexual abuse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethamphetamine use among men who have sex with men (MSM) is associated with increased HIV prevalence, due to increased engagement in high-risk sexual behavior. Fifty-three HIV-negative, methamphetamine-using MSM were enrolled in a biobehavioral combination prevention intervention in Los Angeles, CA, to assess the feasibility of administering postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) in combination with contingency management (CM) to prevent HIV seroconversion. The study combined a CM behavioral intervention targeting reductions in methamphetamine use with a PEP biomedical intervention for HIV prevention.
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