Transgender Women

The Sex Work Lived Experience Affirming Research Network (SW LEARN)

Investigators: Sophia Zamudio-Haas (UCSF); Ayako Miyashita Ochoa (UCLA); Bamby Salcedo (TransLatin Coalition); Queen Chela Demuir (Unique Woman's Coalition); Ashley Madness (Sex Worker's Outreach Project Los Angeles); Susie Baldwin (Los Angeles County DOH); Chunqing Lin (UCLA); Bianca Wilson (UCLA); Manisha Shah (UCB); Anne Fehrenbacher (USC)

The Sex Work Lived Experience Affirming Research Network (SW LEARN) is a community-driven HIV and STI prevention program serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) transgender women engaged in sex work in Los Angeles County. This initiative brings together community members, healthcare and social services providers, and researchers to adapt and implement evidence-based HIV prevention strategies that specifically address the needs of the community. The network centers voices of BIPOC trans women who have lived experience in sex trade, and adaptation of the intervention and implementation of our collaborative is led by members of the centered community. We study the effectiveness of these adapted services in preventing HIV and STIs, and share our findings with policymakers to improve health services and support for BIPOC trans women engaged in sex work at both local and state levels. The program emphasizes community leadership and participation at every stage, ensuring that the services provided are relevant, accessible, and respectful of the community's needs and experiences. 

Visit the SWOP  Los Angeles, CA site.
 

It Takes Two

Investigators: Kristi Gamarel (MPI/University of Michigan); Jae Sevelius (MPI); Don Operario (MPI/Brown University); Lynae Darbes (University of Michigan); Tor Neilands; Mallory Johnson 

Transgender women, particularly Black transgender women, are among the populations at the highest risk for HIV in the United States and worldwide. One of the most consistently reported contexts for HIV transmission among trans women is within a primary partnership. Despite the critical importance of primary partnerships for HIV prevention, the vast majority of HIV prevention studies and interventions for trans women have been individually-focused. The overarching goal of “It Takes Two” is to test the efficacy of a promising couples-focused HIV prevention intervention to reduce HIV risk among transgender women and their primary partners by integrating biomedical and behavioral risk reduction strategies to help couples choose the most appropriate HIV prevention plan for their relationship.

Visit the Community-Based Research page - Center of Excellence for Transgender Health
 

Prevention Research Center Core Research Project: A collaboration between Cal-PEP and UCSF to evaluate the implementation of Healthy Divas, an intervention for Transgender Women

Investigators: Jae Sevelius, Greg Rebchook, Beth Bourdeau, Breonna McCree, Matthew Beld, Lisa Ryan (Cal-PEP), Michael Benjamin (Cal-PEP)

Cal-PEP and the UCSF Prevention Research Center are collaborating to study the implementation and facilitate the dissemination of Healthy Divas, an intervention for transgender women developed at the UCSF Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. Cal-PEP and UCSF investigators are working together to determine facilitators and barriers to implementation, as well as to develop an implementation toolkit to support organizations in the adoption and successful implementation of Healthy Divas.  

Visit the Healthy Diva's Learning Center
Visit the Healthy Diva's research page - Center of Excellence for Transgender Health