Skip to main content
. 2019 Jan;109(1):e1–e8. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304727

TABLE 1—

Estimated Mean Prevalence of HIV Status, Prior Sexually Transmitted Disease Diagnosis, Risky Sexual Behaviors, Drug Use, and Contextual Factors for Transgender Women, Transgender Men, and Transgender Persons Overall (n = 88 Studies): United States, 2006–2017

Transgender Women
Transgender Men
Transgender Persons Overalla
Outcome κ Weighted % (95% CI) I2% Min–Max % κ Weighted %, (95% CI) I2% Min–Max % Pb κ Weighted %, (95% CI) I2% Min–Max %
HIV status and prior STD diagnosis
HIV infection 43 18.8 (14.9, 23.5) 95 0.9–72.7 15 2.0 (1.0, 4.0) 51 0.3–10.1 <.001 68 13.7 (10.9, 16.9) 97 0.3–72.7
 Laboratory-confirmed 13 14.2 (8.7, 22.2) 96 1.0–40.7 8 2.9 (1.1, 7.3) 37 0.4–10.1 .003 24 9.2 (6.0, 13.7) 98 0.4–40.1
 Self-reported 30 21.0 (15.9, 27.2) 95 0.9–72.7 7 1.2 (0.4, 3.1) 28 0.3–7.1 <.001 44 16.1 (12.0, 21.2) 98 0.3–60.2
By race/ethnicityc
 Black 4 44.2 (23.2, 67.5) 94 20.4–66.7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 Hispanic 5 25.8 (11.7, 47.7) 95 7.7–60.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 White 5 6.7 (2.6, 16.6) 83 0.2–25.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 Other 6 9.8 (4.2, 21.1) 87 6.5–26.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
STD diagnosis 8 21.1 (18.0, 24.7) 66 3.0–36.4 8 28.7 (12.2, 53.9) 93 0.1–100.0 .46 17 21.5 (16.7, 27.3) 98 1.2–99.6
HIV testing 9 74.6 (64.3, 82.8) 91 8.0–99.2 6 69.1 (55.7, 79.9) 89 47.6–93.3 .48 16 72.8 (65.1, 79.3) 89 8.0–99.2
PrEP knowledge 3 36.6 (13.7, 67.7) 95 13.7–64.0 2 NA NA NA . . . 5 48.6 (25.6, 72.2) 95 13.7–64.0
Risky sexual behaviors
Sex work 29 37.9 (29.0, 47.7) 98 3.7–82.0 10 13.1 (6.6, 24.3) 88 1.2–43.8 .001 39 31.0 (23.9, 39.0) 97 1.2–82.0
Unprotected sex 21 38.2 (30.5, 46.5) 97 11.9–72.7 9 24.5 (15.8, 36.0) 88 8.1–43.9 .051 31 35.7 (29.4, 42.5) 96 8.1–72.7
Drunk or high during sex 13 37.3 (28.2, 47.4) 95 13.7–71.1 3 32.4 (16.3, 54.0) 88 25.0–45.7 .67 16 36.4 (28.2, 45.5) 95 13.7–71.1
HIV-positive partners 8 20.2 (12.0, 31.8) 92 2.6–54.5 4 19.5 (8.1, 39.8) 80 3.3–50.0 .94 12 20.0 (12.9, 29.7) 90 3.3–54.5
No. of partnersd 2 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA . . . 5 3.8 (2.0, 5.6) 48 2.8–39.4
Multiple partners 6 41.7 (29.0, 55.6) 96 29.0–58.0 6 43.1 (29.3, 58.2) 93 0.15–86.0 .89 12 42.4 (32.8, 52.6) 95 15.0–86.0
Drug use behaviors
Injection drug use 14 10.7 (6.4, 17.2) 95 0.7–40.5 5 9.3 (3.5, 22.5) 0 1.6–15.6 .80 20 10.0 (6.5, 15.2) 94 0.7–40.5
Injection of hormones 7 32.7 (16.7, 54.1) 97 0.8–69.1 2 NA NA NA . . . 9 37.4 (21.3, 56.8) 97 0.8–91.1
Shared needles 5 2.4 (1.0, 5.7) 79 0.3–9.8 3 2.2 (0.6, 7.9) 78 0.2–5.1 .92 9 2.5 (1.2, 4.9) 72 0.2–9.8
Alcohol use 11 47.5 (30.9, 64.6) 98 7.5–88.1 5 39.6 (18.6, 65.3) 96 10.3–65.2 .62 18 45.4 (32.2, 59.3) 98 7.5–88.1
Noninjection drugs 17 36.0 (28.0, 44.8) 96 13.2–70.6 9 38.1 (25.9, 52.0) 92 9.8–98.4 .79 29 34.9 (30.0, 40.0) 96 9.8–98.4
Noninjection hormones 16 67.7 (59.3, 75.1) 96 11.6–97.6 7 73.4 (60.2, 83.4) 95 41.2–97.8 .45 27 67.1 (60.9, 72.8) 96 11.6–97.8
Contextual factors
Depression 11 43.6 (35.4, 52.0) 91 19.6–81.8 3 54.2 (37.7, 69.8) 0 52.2–54.9 .27 16 50.3 (45.3, 55.2) 98 19.6–81.8
Suicide attempts 2 NA NA NA 2 NA NA NA . . . 6 24.8 (18.0, 33.2) 99 7.1–40.3
Abuse 9 55.8 (37.1, 72.9) 98 18.9–93.7 2 NA NA NA . . . 14 47.8 (30.2, 66.0) 99 3.7–93.7
Sexual abuse 7 53.8 (24.4, 80.8) 98 10.5–99.2 1 NA NA NA . . . 11 39.8 (23.1, 59.3) 98 10.5–99.2
Discriminatione 2 NA NA NA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 47.5 (14.2, 83.2) 99 15.5–79.8
Unstable housingf 16 31.7 (23.2, 41.7) 95 4.9–72.7 2 NA NA NA . . . 20 30.3 (23.1, 38.5) 95 4.9–72.7
Employment 14 39.2 (29.4, 49.9) 93 18.3–82.4 4 56.8 (35.8, 75.7) 87 30.4–81.3 .15 22 47.6 (37.4, 58.0) 98 18.3–82.4
Incarceration 17 43.3 (31.2, 56.4) 97 50.0–90.9 1 NA NA NA . . . 18 41.3 (29.7, 54.0) 97 5.0–90.9
Health insurance 6 71.9 (58.5, 82.3) 95 46.7–85.8 4 70.1 (50.7, 84.3) 64 52.5–78.3 .87 12 72.3 (64.2, 79.1) 93 46.7–85.8

Note. CI = confidence interval; I2% = the variation across studies that is attributable to heterogeneity rather than chance; κ = number of prevalence estimates used; min–max = minimum to maximum; NA = not applicable because < 3 studies reported for measure; PrEP = preexposure prophylaxis; STD = sexually transmitted disease; weighted % = weighted mean percentage.

a

Includes studies that did not differentiate between transwomen and transmen.

b

Test for between-group differences for transwomen and transmen.

c

Any ascertainment method (laboratory-confirmed and self-reported) for race estimates among transwomen only.

d

Meta-analysis of continuous measure.

e

Gender-based discrimination.

f

Includes homelessness.