HIV/AIDS Programming in the United States: Considerations Affecting Transgender Women and Girls

To be truly gender responsive, HIV/AIDS programming for women and girls also needs to be fully gender inclusive. Gender identity is not necessarily determined by one’s sex assigned at birth and not everyone is only or always simply “male” or “female.” Transgender women (transwomen) and girls are those individuals whose gender identity and/or expression do not align with the “male” sex they were assigned at birth. This definition is inclusive of a diverse population whose identities, language, communities, and behaviors may vary widely. However, based on recent increases in public health literature that aims to elucidate the social context that puts transwomen and girls at risk for adverse health outcomes, we offer some formative considerations for the implementation of gender-responsive and gender-inclusive HIV/AIDS programming in the United States.