Stigma, social cohesion, and mental health among transgender women sex workers living with HIV in the Dominican Republic.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamar Goldenberg ◽  
Deanna Kerrigan ◽  
Hoisex Gomez ◽  
Martha Perez ◽  
Yeycy Donastorg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Transgender Women ◽  
Living With Hiv

scholarly journals Social cohesion, condom use, and sexually transmitted infections among female sex workers living with HIV in the Dominican Republic

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Carrasco ◽  
C Barrington ◽  
M Perez ◽  
Y Donastorg ◽  
D Kerrigan
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Condom Use ◽  
Sexually Transmitted Infections ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Pregnancy Intentions ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Living With Hiv

This cross-sectional study examines the relationship between social cohesion with consistent condom use (CCU) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among the Abriendo Puertas (Opening Doors) cohort of female sex workers (FSWs) living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the Dominican Republic (n = 228). Using data from the follow-up survey of the cohort, we conducted multivariate logistic regression to explore these dynamics. Social cohesion was significantly associated with CCU between FSWs living with HIV and their clients in the last month (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11–2.45) and STI prevalence among FSWs (AOR: 3.76, CI: 1.159–12.162). Social cohesion was not associated with CCU between FSWs living with HIV and their steady partners. However, both illicit drug use in the past six months (AOR = 0.11, CI: 0.023–0.57) and pregnancy intentions (AOR = 0.11; CI: 0.02–0.42) were significantly associated with CCU with steady partners. Findings highlight the differential role of social cohesion on condom use outcomes between FSWs living with HIV and their paying clients versus steady partners. Research on the pathways via which cohesion influences condom use among sex workers and their clients is merited, as is research regarding the role of drug use and pregnancy intentions on condom use with steady partners.

HIV Stigma Mediates the Association Between Social Cohesion and Consistent Condom Use Among Female Sex Workers Living with HIV in the Dominican Republic

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 1529-1539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Augusta Carrasco ◽  
Trang Q. Nguyen ◽  
Clare Barrington ◽  
Martha Perez ◽  
Yeycy Donastorg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Condom Use ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Hiv Stigma ◽  
Consistent Condom ◽  
Consistent Condom Use ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Living With Hiv

scholarly journals “A dream come true”: Perspectives on long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy among female sex workers living with HIV from the Dominican Republic and Tanzania

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. e0234666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deanna Kerrigan ◽  
Tahilin Sanchez Karver ◽  
Ohvia Muraleetharan ◽  
Virginia Savage ◽  
Jessie Mbwambo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Long Acting ◽  
Living With Hiv

Factors Related to Pregnancy Among Female Sex Workers Living with HIV in the Dominican Republic

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2346-2356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana Cernigliaro ◽  
Clare Barrington ◽  
Martha Perez ◽  
Yeycy Donastorg ◽  
Deanna Kerrigan
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Living With Hiv

scholarly journals Biopsychosocial Mechanisms Linking Gender Minority Stress to HIV Comorbidities Among Black and Latina Transgender Women (LITE Plus): Protocol for a Mixed Methods Longitudinal Study

10.2196/17076 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e17076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashleigh J Rich ◽  
Jennifer Williams ◽  
Mannat Malik ◽  
Andrea Wirtz ◽  
Sari Reisner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Chronic Stress ◽  
Transgender Women ◽  
Stigma And Discrimination ◽  
Living With Hiv

Background Black and Latina transgender women (TW) experience a disparate burden of HIV and related comorbidities, including poor mental health and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks. Pervasive multilevel stigma and discrimination operate as psychosocial stressors for TW living with HIV and shape health disparities for this population. Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is commonly used by TW to facilitate alignment of the body with gender identity; in the context of stigma, GAHT may both improve mental health and increase CVD risks. Objective This study aims to quantify the longitudinal relationship between stigma and chronic stress among black and Latina TW living with HIV. Secondary objectives include identifying pathways linking chronic stress to HIV comorbidities and exploring chronic stress as a mediator in the pathway linking stigma and GAHT to CVD comorbidities. Methods This US-based mixed methods longitudinal study will enroll a prospective cohort of 200 black and Latina TW living with HIV, collecting quantitative survey data, qualitative interviews, and biomarkers of chronic stress. Interviewer-administered surveys will include validated psychosocial measures of self-reported stigma and discrimination, perceived stress, CVD risk factors, mental health, access to gender-affirming care, coping, and social support. Medical record abstraction will collect data on GAHT use, CD4 count, HIV viral load, antiretroviral therapy, treatment, and comorbid conditions. Clinical measures will include physiological biomarkers as well as salivary and blood-based biomarkers of chronic stress. Survey data will be collected every 6 months (baseline, and 6, 12, 18, and 24 months), and biospecimens will be collected at baseline and at 12 and 24 months. A purposive subsample (stratified by use of GAHT and presence of depressive symptoms) of 20 to 30 TW living with HIV will be invited to participate in in-depth interviews at 6 and 18 months to explore experiences of intersectional stigma, chronic stress, and the role of GAHT in their lives. Results This study was funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities in December 2018. The study community advisory board and scientific advisors provided critical input on study design. Recruitment began in October 2019 (n=29 participants as of submission) and data collection will continue through 2022, with publication of baseline results anticipated summer 2021. Conclusions This study will focus on black and Latina TW living with HIV, an understudied health disparities population, advance both stigma and intersectionality research, and move chronic stress physiology research toward a more nuanced understanding of sex and gender. The comprehensive methodology will support the exploration of the role of exogenous estrogen in the pathways between stress and HIV comorbidities, elucidating the role of GAHT in the stress-health relationship. Finally, this study will provide longitudinal evidence of the impact of stigma-related chronic stress on the lives of black and Latina TW living with HIV integrating qualitative and quantitative data with psychosocial, clinical, and biological measures. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/17076

A multi-level examination of the experiences of female sex workers living with HIV along the continuum of care in the Dominican Republic

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1020-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose Zulliger ◽  
Caitlin Kennedy ◽  
Clare Barrington ◽  
Martha Perez ◽  
Yeycy Donastorg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Female Sex Workers ◽  
Continuum Of Care ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
The Continuum

Correlates of Suicidality Among A Community-Based Cohort of Women Sex Workers: The Protective Effect of Social Cohesion

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051987016
Author(s):  
Elena Argento ◽  
Steffanie A. Strathdee ◽  
Jean A. Shoveller ◽  
Melissa Braschel ◽  
Kate Shannon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Protective Effect ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Sex Workers ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Suicide is a critical public health concern globally. Sex workers experience a disproportionate burden of social and health inequities driven by forms of violence, stigma, and criminalization, yet empirical research on suicidality is limited. This study longitudinally investigated the burden and socio-structural correlates of recent suicidality among women sex workers in Vancouver, Canada. Data (2010-2017) were drawn from a community-based, prospective cohort of cis and trans women sex workers across Metro Vancouver. Women completed biannual interviewer-administered questionnaires, and correlates of suicidality in the last 6 months were analyzed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations (GEE). Of 867 women at baseline, 48% ( n = 413) reported lifetime suicidality, 16% (n = 141) reported suicidality in the last 6 months, and 29% reported suicidality at some point during the study. In multivariable analysis, factors independently associated with suicidality included physical/sexual childhood abuse (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.99; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.75, 5.10]), mental health issues (depression/anxiety/posttraumatic stress disorder; AOR = 2.19; 95% CI = [1.63, 2.95]), intimate partner violence (AOR: 2.11; 95% CI = [1.60, 2.80]), physical/sexual client violence (AOR: 1.82; 95% CI = [1.33, 2.50]), and homelessness (AOR: 1.44; 95% CI = [1.10, 1.89]). Older age (AOR: 0.97; 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99]) and higher social cohesion (AOR: 0.88; 95% CI = [0.78, 0.99]) were significantly associated with reduced odds of suicidality. Findings reveal key socio-structural correlates of suicidality among sex workers including experiences of historical and interpersonal violence, trauma/mental health issues, and homelessness. Strengthening social cohesion may have a protective effect on suicidality. Trauma-informed community-led structural interventions tailored to sex workers are urgently needed alongside a legal framework that enables collectivization and connectedness.

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