2014 to 2021 saw increase in HIV testing, PrEP in transgender persons

From 2014 to 2021, there was an increase in the number of transgender persons with an HIV test and who received preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), according to a study published online Dec. 19 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Ya-Lin A. Huang, Ph.D., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues estimated the number of commercially insured transgender women (TGW) and transgender men (TGM) in the United States and their use of HIV prevention services in a retrospective analysis of secondary data from commercial databases from 2014 to 2021.

The researchers found that from 2014 to 2021, there was an increasing trend in the prevalence of transgender-related diagnosis codes and in the proportion of persons who used gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). Persons aged 18 to 34 years drove the increases.

In 2021, 61.1 percent of the 10,613 TGW and 48.3 percent of 4,184 TGM with a test for or a diagnosis of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the previous 12 months had an HIV test; of these, 20.2 and 10.2 percent, respectively, were prescribed PrEP.

From 2014 to 2021, there was a substantial increase seen in the prevalence of TGW and TGM with a test for or a diagnosis of an STI, who had an HIV test, and who were prescribed PrEP.

"The health and well-being of transgender persons can be increased with holistic service models that include HIV prevention and other prevention services in addition to GAHT," the authors write.