Today, April 18th, we recognize the 4th annual National Transgender HIV Testing Day (NTHTD). This day was created to promote HIV testing, prevention, and treatment among transgender people, who experience disproportionately high rates of HIV, further exacerbated by racial/ethnic disparities.
In 2014 and 2015, 2/3 of transgender people reported that they had never been tested for HIV and of all HIV tests reported to the CDC in 2017, the percentage of transgender people who received a new HIV diagnosis was 3 times higher than the national average.
Racial/ethnic disparities are pronounced among transgender individuals living with diagnosed HIV. Between 2006 and 2017, approximately 44% of transgender women living with diagnosed HIV were Black. Health surveillance, data collection, and community involvement, from organizations like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, help to address these social determinants of health and reduce these stark health disparities. Continued efforts are needed to ensure we have high-quality data on transgender status in order to deliver more effective HIV prevention, treatment, and care services to transgender people.
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On National Transgender HIV Testing Day, get involved and join the fight against HIV:
- EDUCATE FAMILY AND FRIENDS: View our local statistics to see if your city reports transgender data
- LEARN MORE: Check out CDC’s page on HIV Among Transgender People to learn more about the many challenges that transgender people face related to HIV prevention
- GET TESTED: Visit AIDSVu.org/testing to find a testing site near you
- FIND PrEP PROVIDERS: Use AIDSVu’s PrEP locator to find a local PrEP provider
