TRANS - Risk Behaviors of Transgenders in San Francisco
CAPS research
For a summary of preliminary findings, please see the report "Critical Health Needs for MTF Transgenders of Color" (PDF Document)
Department of Public Health research
The Transgender Community Health Project (TCHP) is a quantitative study designed to assess HIV risk among Male-To-Female (MTF) and Female-To-Male (FTM) transgendered persons in San Francisco. This anonymous survey and HIV testing was conducted from July 1, 1997 to December 31, 1997 with 392 MTF and 123 FTM transgendered individuals. The following findings are excerpted from the Final Report.
| MTF participants infected with HIV | number | |
| African Americans | 63% | 104 |
| Latina | 29% | 106 |
| Asian & PI | 27% | 49 |
| White | 22% | 106 |
| Native American | 20% | 24 |
| All | 35% | |
| MTF individuals who reported risk behaviors | |
| sex work | 80% |
| unprotected receptive anal sex | 85% |
| injection drug use | 34% |
| MTF current risk behaviors (past 6 months) | |
| sex work | 48% |
| unprotected receptive anal sex | 34% |
| injection drug use | 18% |
| MTF lifetime non-injection drug use | |
| marijuana | 90% |
| cocaine | 66% |
| speed | 57% |
| LSD | 52% |
| poppers | 50% |
| crack | 48% |
| heroin | 24% |
For FTM participants, HIV prevalence was low (<2%) and current risk behaviors were infrequent. However, a history of unsafe receptive anal sex was reported by 28% of FTM participants, and among those who reported a history of injection drug use (18% of the sample), 91% shared syringes. Based on our findings, we believe there is an urgent need for effective HIV prevention and harm reduction interventions for MTF transgendered individuals. Such interventions should make a special attempt to reach MTF African American individuals because this population had extremely high HIV prevalence. Currently, there are no HIV prevention interventions in San Francisco for FTM transgendered persons; such interventions will be most effective if they specifically target individuals who have sex with men and those who inject street drugs.
For more information contact:
Kristen Clements
TCHP Project Director
San Francisco Department of Public Health
25 Van Ness, #500
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 554-9496
e-mail: kristen_clements@dph.sf.ca.us