Associations Between the Length of Time from Transgender Identity Recognition to Hormone Initiation and Smoking Among Transgender Youth and Young Adults.

Gender-affirming medical interventions have been associated with mental health improvements among transgender individuals. However, little is known about optimal timing of these interventions as they relate to stress-sensitive behaviors such as smoking. We analyzed electronic health record data from transgender youth and young adults to examine whether longer duration from transgender identity recognition to hormone initiation was associated with smoking behaviors.

Family Functioning and Mental Health of Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Youth in the Trans Teen and Family Narratives Project.

Transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGN) youth are at increased risk for adverse mental health outcomes, but better family functioning may be protective. This study describes TGN youth's mental health and associations with family functioning in a community-based sample. Participants were from 33 families (96 family members) and included 33 TGN youth, ages 13 to 17 years; 48 cisgender (non-transgender) caregivers; and 15 cisgender siblings.

Increasing HPV vaccination and eliminating barriers: Recommendations from young men who have sex with men.

Background: There is a disparity in HPV vaccination rates in particular among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and until very recently there has been a dearth of research examining factors related to HPV vaccination for YMSM. The purpose of this study was to elicit YMSM's beliefs about HPV and the HPV vaccine as well as describe perceived barriers and facilitators of vaccine initiation and completion.

Methods: A qualitative, descriptive study that utilized a focus group design was conducted among an urban and racially diverse sample of YMSM.

The Association of Health Seeking Behaviors With Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Status Among High-Risk Urban Youth.

Background: Vaccination is the primary strategy to reduce the burden of human papillomavirus (HPV) related diseases in the United States. Unvaccinated youth are at risk for HPV infection and associated diseases, and limited research has explored factors associated with HPV vaccination among those who are disadvantaged and at high risk, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer and/or homeless.

Methods: A retrospective electronic medical record review was conducted at an urban, homeless, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer focused health center in northeastern US logistic regression models examined the associations between HPV vaccination and demographic/social characteristics and health behaviors.

Laboratory-confirmed HIV and sexually transmitted infection seropositivity and risk behavior among sexually active transgender patients at an adolescent and young adult urban community health center.

The sexual health of transgender adolescents and young adults who present for health care in urban community health centers is understudied. A retrospective review of electronic health record (EHR) data was conducted from 180 transgender patients aged 12-29 years seen for one or more health-care visits between 2001 and 2010 at an urban community health center serving youth in Boston, MA. Analyses were restricted to 145 sexually active transgender youth (87.