Unfortunately, I am old enough to remember when the public hysteria over the AIDS/HIV epidemic in America and how it was used as the supreme gay bashing weapon in the 1970s. This was a time of great struggle for the "homosexual community." Much of the progress that the gay community had made, in the sexual revolution movement of the 1960s and 1970s, was threatened and lost. Panic, fear, and ignorance swept the mainstream heterosexual community in America about HIV/AIDS, to the point many thought by simply touching a person (homosexual) with AIDS, you were risking contracting the disease yourself. Popular opinion ignored the well established fact that it truly was not predominately a gay issue but, a heterosexual illness that some gay individuals contacted as well. The AIDS/HIV issue and its misuse had more of a damaging effect on the gay community than Senator Joseph McCarthy, and his propaganda had on all of America in the late 1940s and early 1950s. AIDS/HIV devastated the gay movement in the United States to the point that, even today, the homosexual community has not fully recovered, and this was deliberate.

Today things have change, although the fight by the gay community to recover lost ground of public opinion and acceptance has been painfully slow, there has been progress.  But, I see things in the transgender and transsexual community that are reminiscent of the good old witch burning days of the AIDS/HIV propaganda campaigns, of mass public ignorance, and hysteria of the 1970s that alarm me. As fare as what little is know about the transgender community by the larger society in the United States, most believe there is a direct connection between transsexuals and AIDS/HIV. For that matter, it is also believed that there is a direct connection between transsexuals and drug abuse, between transsexuals and prostitution, transsexuals and alcoholism, transsexuals and metal illness, transsexuals and crime, and welfare abuse. But recently, the granddaddy of all of this public misinformation is that transsexuals are AIDS/HIV infected prostitutes. This is true, to the extent that if you seek medical care from public or even private medical centers design to cater to the transgender community, you will be overwhelmed by the presumption and suspicion that you are among this affected group of individuals within our community. So, even well intended medical care givers and social service providers that seek to help our community are frequently operating under these assumptions. Ladies, my dear sisters, this is real bad news, it can't get any worse than this, if our community desires to gain full, or even partial societal enfranchisement. 


Godiva

Godiva, hi,

I agree the clinic that I attend is lumped in with sexual health and all that that implies. I feel dirty and almost want to enter in a brown mackintosh and pretending to read a newspaper, lol.

Hugs and kisses

Nigella

The aids scare was in the 80's not the 70's, maybe the fist aid case were in late 70's (not sure), but I think it wasn't even identified as such at that time. The Aids scare was during the Reagan era.

Hmm.. I do wonder if the prevalence of HIV is greater in the TG community. Good stats might be hard to come by, but I was talking a couple months ago with someone doing research in this area, who said that "->-bleeped-<-s" have a higher prevalence of seropositivity. I suspect TGs do, as well, though my guess is only slightly. There is a subpopulation of IV drug abusers and prostitutes who are TG, which would skew the figures.
Of course, remember universal precautions! EVERYONE could have hepatitis or HIV.
Be safe, Tara

PS: The HIV explosion was in the 80s.. I was in medical education then, and got involved in research. It did bring the gay community and concerns to the forefront of the medical community, and did help diminish prejudice.

Quote from: GodivaAs fare as what little is know about the transgender community by the larger society in the United States, most believe there is a direct connection between transsexuals and AIDS/HIV. For that matter, it is also believed that there is a direct connection between transsexuals and drug abuse, between transsexuals and prostitution, transsexuals and alcoholism, transsexuals and metal illness, transsexuals and crime, and welfare abuse. But recently, the granddaddy of all of this public misinformation is that transsexuals are AIDS/HIV infected prostitutes. This is true, to the extent that if you seek medical care from public or even private medical centers design to cater to the transgender community, you will be overwhelmed by the presumption and suspicion that you are among this affected group of individuals within our community. So, even well intended medical care givers and social service providers that seek to help our community are frequently operating under these assumptions. Ladies, my dear sisters, this is real bad news, it can't get any worse than this, if our community desires to gain full, or even partial societal enfranchisement.

I have never heard any of that, and find it preposterous. Please supply us with a link to support these claims.

Also much of your information about HIV/AIDS just isn't backed up by the evidence and studies. However that is probably a subject for another thread, but I've done extensive (hundreds of hours) researching and reading about HIV/AIDS because someone close to me died from it.


Cordially, Sandi
_____________

Speaking as someone WHO IS HIV+ and TRANSGENDERED
I have taught seminars to Health care, public assistance, and police officer on how to deal with and interact with Transgender individuals (The fact that this training is not only active but necc you can verify by googling TPAC)

Godiva is accurate in her claims that a fair amount of the general publics perception of Transgenders are first they are prostitutes,which leads to the other misconception she pointed out. I have encountered the fact that quiet a few Health care workers automatically assume my HIV status is a result of Prostitution.Which those of us who have been around the site for a while know that is far from the actual story.... So I definitly "SEE" and agree with her point.

Question for Nigella: 
You posted:

Quote from: Nigella on July 08, 2007, 06:27:32 AM
I feel dirty and almost want to enter in a brown mackintosh and pretending to read a newspaper, lol.

First let me say I did not take personal offensive to this comment but it can be read in many ways so I figure I ask the source. What element makes you feel "Dirty" exactly? The fact that you may be associated with a group like HIV infected individuals? Or the fact that being around people who may be infect with HIV makes you feel that way?

Just a question,

Quote from: Godiva on July 08, 2007, 04:17:56 AM
most believe there is a direct connection between transsexuals and AIDS/HIV.

Evidence?

I'm sure there are a new ignorant nutcases out there who blame all the evils of the world on anyone who is different, but after all the scares and warnings I've read of what would happen to me when people "found out" about me... it just never happened.

I worry that it's these kind of dire warnings which cause the dispair and desperation which creates suicidal and hopeless feelings for so many TSs. It's exactly these kind of unfounded fears which prevented me from transitioning much, much earlier. I really do think we project our own insecurities and fears onto a society which is far more accepting than we give them credit for.

~Kate~

Chynna,

No offence made just what was said by the statement below

Godiva is accurate in her claims that a fair amount of the general publics perception of Transgenders are first they are prostitutes,

When there are articles on then news or in the papers relating to Transgender people it is usually in a derogatory way and in some sort of deviant sexual nature. So the general public think that transgender is associated with sexual deviancy.  I don't know if I am making myself plain. I worked with drug addicts, and those with HIV so I have no prejudice against them, but with lumping a clinic for transgender in with sexual health care perpetuates that kind of thinking, and its that that makes me feel I have something wrong with my self that is sexually deviant and dirty. I think about who saw me go in, lol.

Does that make my statement clearer, I hope so as I don't judge anyone, at least I hope i don't.

hugs and kisses

Nigella

Quote from: Nigella on July 08, 2007, 02:17:41 PM
When there are articles on then news or in the papers relating to Transgender people it is usually in a derogatory way and in some sort of deviant sexual nature.

In the States, there have been wonderful shows on 20/20, CNN, MSNBC, Discovery Channel... a good article in Newsweek... all of which specifically explain the differences between gender identity and sexual preferences.

Except for articles in religious propaganda masquerading as "news," I rarely see anything in mainstream news sources portraying TSism in a negative or misleading way.

~Kate~

Quote from: TinkLike Sandi, I also lost someone very dear and close to me to AIDS in the mid 80's and I have also done extensive research on this subject.

Rather than go off topic on this thread, I posted Why Has Aids Research Failed?

i fail to see how having the wrong body makes you more likely to catch hiv...
this is simply prejudicial

I have found this information on the Internet about transsexuals and HIV published by University of California, San Francisco. The statistics are quite alarming and would frighten anyone.


University of California, San Francisco | Search UCSF | AIDS Research Institute en español
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FINDINGS
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Fact Sheets Model programs Intervention curricula Survey instruments Evaluation manuals Outreach materials Prevention Toolkit > CAPS Fact Sheet - What Are the HIV Prevention Needs of Male-to-Female Transgender Persons

What Are the HIV Prevention Needs of Male-to-Female Transgender Persons (MTFs)?

What does being transgender mean?
Transgender is an umbrella term used to describe persons who cannot or choose not to conform to societal gender norms associated with their physical sex. 1 Such individuals have gender identities, expressions or behaviors not traditionally associated with their birth sex. Transgender persons live their lives to varying degrees as their chosen gender and may self-identify as female, male, trans-women or -men, non-operative transsexuals, pre-operative transsexuals, transsexuals who have completed surgical sex reassignment, ->-bleeped-<-s or cross-dressers, among others. These terms vary regionally and over time.

Because male-to-female transgender individuals (MTFs) have higher rates of HIV-related risks and HIV than female-to-male transgender persons, this fact sheet will focus on MTFs.

Are MTFs at risk?
Yes. MTFs have high rates of HIV infection, with overall rates of 35% in San Francisco in 1997 and 22% in Los Angeles in 1998. 2,3 A study of MTF sex workers in Atlanta found that 68% tested positive for HIV. 4 Infections among MTFs continue to rise, with an estimated rate of new infections of 3-8% per year. 3,5 African American MTFs have higher rates of HIV than other racial/ethnic groups. 2-5

Injection drug use is also common among MTFs, putting them at high risk for HIV. In a San Francisco study, 18% of the respondents reported non-hormonal injection drug use in the past six months and half of this group shared syringes. 2 MTFs may inject female hormones as well, in order to feminize their bodies. HIV risk through hormone injection varies regionally, with New York reporting more risk than in San Francisco, due to differences in availability of hormones and hormone syringes. 2,6 In San Francisco, the needle exchange programs offer hormone syringes and a number of public health clinics offer free or low-cost hormone therapy.

The website address is: www.caps.ucsf.edu/pubs/FS/MTF.php


Also there is further information published by the University of California, San Francisco at:

HIV Risk Behaviors Among Male-to-Female Transgender Persons of Color in ... 
... the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California, San Francisco. ... among male-to-female transsexuals receiving HIV prevention services in ...www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1448420 - 71k - Cached
HIV Risk Behaviors Among Male-to-Female Transgender Persons of Color in ... 
... approved by the University of California, San Francisco committee on human ... incidence among male-to-female transsexuals receiving HIV prevention services in ...www.ajph.org/cgi/content/full/94/7/1193 - 99k


Godiva

again, heavily suggesting m2fs are part of the sex industry, and suggesting m2fs are more likely to be IV drug users... this is utter horse poo....
i am as likely to contract hiv as any other female, trans or not.

Quote from: Rachael on July 17, 2007, 05:05:02 PM
this is utter horse poo....
i am as likely to contract hiv as any other female, trans or not.

Seconded and Amen!

tink

Hmmmm...I'm sorry Godiva, but I totally disagree with your post.  Could you be so kind as to provide links/evidence to support what you say here?
There isn't any evidence to back up that these claims are correct. 


Tink:

This is the evidence you have asked for. But, the issue remains. This is the kind of misinformation we as the transsexual community is up against. And, even more important note the authoritative source that it is coming from, The University of California, San Francisco. This misinformation carries a lot of weight when coming from a source such as this.

Godiva

not really, anyone who reads it can understand not all trans folk are sex workers, or have any more of a chance of contracting hiv than non trans.
its like the 'only gays get aids' ideas of the 70s-80s...

Quote from: Rachael on July 18, 2007, 11:01:40 AM
not really, anyone who reads it can understand not all trans folk are sex workers, or have any more of a chance of contracting hiv than non trans.
its like the 'only gays get aids' ideas of the 70s-80s...

Not only that, but out of approximately 5 million health care workers, and hundreds of accidental exposures, only a handful have contracted HIV or AIDS, and the source of the infection for those is questionable.

i tell you, its a conspiricy...