Cisgender women, transgender men, and all people assigned female at birth continue to be affected by HIV, both nationally and globally. In 2019, 6,897 HIV infections were diagnosed among cisgender women, and 46 were diagnosed among transgender men, with significant disparities by race. Among people assigned female at birth who have HIV, those who identify as Black or African American are disproportionately affected.
Learning Resources — Publications
Creating Welcoming and Affirming Clinical Studies for LGBTQIA+ Participants Toolkit
This toolkit focuses on the implementation stage of training sites to successfully engage and retain LGBTQIA+ participants. Within the toolkit, you will find information on foundational LGBTQIA+ concepts and terminology, best practices for affirming transgender and gender diverse participants, and recommendations for collecting SOGI data as part of participant demographics. By learning these competencies, all study staff can become skilled and confident in supporting the dignity of LGBTQIA+ participants, and ultimately, can contribute to improving health equity for LGBTQIA+ communities.
Engaging and Affirming LGBTQIA+ Families in Health Centers
The visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and all sexually and gender diverse (LGBTQIA+) families is growing, reflecting the evolving landscape of contemporary society. It is estimated that 5 million American children live with a parent who identifies as LGBTQIA+, and nearly 170,000 children are being raised by same-sex couples. Among transgender adults in the U.S., 15-19% are currently a parent of a child under 18 years old. Given the large number of LGBTQIA+ families with children, it is crucial for health centers to recognize the unique and diverse configurations of families in order to meet their health care needs. Effectively providing care for LGBTQIA+ families with children requires a commitment to understanding and embracing their distinct experiences and challenges. By becoming more informed, adapting new terminology, and fostering a sense of community, health center care teams can significantly improve care experiences and health outcomes for all patients and families.
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- Introduction to LGBTQIA+ Health
Patient-Centered Telehealth for LGBTQIA+ Communities
This publication is designed to support health centers in using telehealth programs to increase access to patient care and services for LGBTQIA+ people. Telehealth, in which technology is used to provide health care services at a distance, has become an essential approach to providing patient care and services for underserved communities, including LGBTQIA+ people. Telehealth eliminates geographic restrictions, which increases access to providers who can provide culturally affirming and knowledgeable health care for LGBTQIA+ people. Although telehealth has the potential to improve health outcomes for LGBTQIA+ patients, considerations need to be made to ensure equitable access. The purpose of this publication is to educate health center staff on how to reduce barriers to LGBTQIA+ patient care by improving telehealth programming.
- Filed under
- Introduction to LGBTQIA+ Health
Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Children Whose Parents Are Involved in a Custody Dispute
Custody disputes involving transgender and gender diverse (TGD) children and adolescents require careful consideration due to the unique medical, social, and mental health needs of TGD youth. This is especially the case when one parent is less accepting of the child’s gender exploration/identity than the co-parent. Due to a lack of familiarity within family courts regarding TGD children, harmful misinformation has resulted in the more gender-affirming parent losing physical and/or legal decision-making custody of their TGD child to the non-affirming parent.
- Filed under
- LGBTQIA+ Children and Youth
- Transgender Health
Disaster Equity: Preparedness, Response, and Recovery for LGBTQIA+ Patients of Health Centers
LGBTQIA+ people exist in all communities and are incredibly diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, ability, etc. Importantly, LGBTQIA+ people are underrepresented in disaster and climate infrastructure and policies, yet are overrepresented in populations that are known to be the most impacted by natural disasters—such as those burdened with chronic illness, who are unhoused, or have limited access to healthcare.
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- Emergency Preparedness & Response
Glosario de términos LGBTQIA+ para equipos de atención a la salud
Language is powerful and influences many of our interactions. As a health care provider, becoming familiar with terms used by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities can help you provide these patients with the highest quality care. In this glossary, you will find some of the terms most relevant to the health care of LGBTQIA+ people translated into Spanish. This glossary does not have every term used by the community, but you will find terms most commonly used when patients are accessing health care. It is important to keep in mind that language can change over time, and so this glossary will be update periodically to reflect those changes.
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- Introduction to LGBTQIA+ Health
PrEP Action Kit (2024)
This PrEP Action Kit includes clinical resources to help providers incorporate PrEP into their practices. Including helpful resources such as tips on taking a comprehensive sexual history, frequently asked questions about PrEP and information on PrEP prescribing and monitoring. This action kit is an essential resource for all providers treating LGBTQIA+ patients or patients at risk of HIV infection.
Physical Activity and Sports Participation for Transgender and Gender Diverse People
This publication is designed to support health centers in promoting physical activity and sports participation for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) patients. TGD people experience multiple mental and physical health disparities throughout the life course, including increased cardiometabolic risk. Despite these increased risks, preventive health guidelines rarely address the unique needs of TGD people. In this publication, we therefore provide evidence-informed guidance for clinical care teams to support the health and wellness of their TGD patients. Clinicians will learn to:
- Filed under
- Transgender Health
Rapid Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy for People with HIV
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended for all people with HIV to improve and preserve their health and to reduce transmission of HIV to others. Increasingly, rapid ART starts have become a clinical and public health priority, with the Department of Health and Human Services Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents recommending that ART be started as soon as possible after HIV diagnosis. Definitions of what constitutes a rapid start of ART vary; the most stringent is also termed immediate ART and occurs when ART is prescribed on the same day an HIV diagnosis is delivered. This fact sheet reviews the potential benefits and rationale for rapid ART starts, outlines potential pitfalls, and offers practical, evidence-based tips on ART selection for rapid starts.
- Filed under
- HIV/STI Treatment and Prevention
