This study used mixed methods to examine characteristics related to HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Bogotá, Colombia. A sample of 890 MSM responded to a computerized quantitative survey. Follow-up qualitative data included 20 in-depth interviews with MSM and 12 key informant interviews. Hierarchical logistic set regression indicated that sequential sets of variables reflecting demographic characteristics, insurance coverage, risk appraisal, and social context each added to the explanation of HIV testing. Follow-up logistic regression showed that individuals who were older, had higher income, paid for their own insurance, had had a sexually transmitted infection, knew more people living with HIV, and had greater social support were more likely to have been tested for HIV at least once. Qualitative findings provided details of personal and structural barriers to testing, as well as interrelationships among these factors. Recommendations to increase HIV testing among Colombian MSM are offered.

This article updates previous content analyses that identified a relative paucity of U.S.-based psychological research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people of color by extending the period covered to 2018. In addition to documenting how many such studies occurred and when, it considers the research questions asked, funding sources, impact, and journal outlets. This richer description of this research area allowed us to describe historically not only when LGBT people of color in the United States were studied but why they were studied, which journals published this work, and which published studies were most influential. We found that the literature starts in 1988 for LGB people of color and in 2009 for transgender people of color and that a significant shift occurred in 2009, with the majority of the articles being published in the last 10 years. Findings suggest that U.S. federal funding and support for LGBT research as well as divisions of the American Psychological Association focused on minoritized identities and their journals played a role in the recent increase. Half of the studies investigated psychological symptoms, and more than a third of studied experiences and psychological processes related to holding multiple minority statuses, many of which focused on potentially deleterious aspects of these identities. These findings indicate that this literature has a significant focus on pathology. Underrepresented groups included cisgender and transgender women; transgender men; older individuals; Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders; American Indians and Alaska Natives; and multiracial individuals. Public Significance StatementWe found that the body of research with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people of color in the United States has grown substantially in the past 10 years and that this increase is related to shifts in U.S. research funding and the journals of divisions of the American Psychological Association focused on marginalized groups.

This paper examined structural, social, and personal characteristics that shape the processes of gender affirmation and body modification among transgender persons (assigned male at birth) in Bogotá, Colombia. Qualitative data from life-history interviews (N=14) and a focus group (N=11) explored research questions concerning the ways in which the internal psychological and external contextual processes influence individuals' decisions and behaviors concerning hormonal treatment, injections, or surgery. Research questions concerning practices and consequences of treatment performed without medical supervision were addressed through qualitative data, as well as quantitative data from 58 transgender participants. Findings indicated variation in ways participants conceptualized gender (e.g., binary or fluid), but an increased feminine presentation was a strong personal desire expressed by many and often encouraged by romantic partners and transgender friends. Transgender individuals within participants' social networks were frequently instrumental not only in providing information about hormones and contouring injections, but also in carrying out procedures—sometimes with negative consequences. Body modification procedures occurred primarily outside the health care system, due to limited access to or awareness of medical care, societal stigma, social norms within the transgender community, and personal decision-making. Public health approaches to protect the health of transgender persons undergoing body modification were suggested.

Introduction: Globally, transgender populations are disproportionally impacted by HIV and effective HIV prevention interventions targeting these populations are critically needed. Such interventions require research focused on the specific needs and experiences of transgender people. This methodological review aims to determine the extent to which HIV prevention research has included transgender participants by subsuming them into non-transgender populations, or by centring them either in comparison with other groups or as the sole focus of research. Methods: We searched five electronic databases (e.g. SCOPUS) for empirical studies that focused on HIV prevention and included transgender participants, published through 31 December 2020. For each study, we extracted information on: (a) types of inclusion of transgender participants; (b) total sample size and number/percentage of transgender participants; (c) country(ies) where study was conducted; (d) HIV research topics; (e) methods (i.e. quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods research) and (f) gender identity of transgender participants. Results and discussion: Of 667 HIV prevention studies included in the review, 38.5% subsumed transgender participants into cisgender populations (most frequently combining transgender women with cisgender men who have sex with men), 20.4% compared transgender and cisgender participants and 41.1% focused exclusively on transgender populations. Our global scoping review also revealed that these three types of transgender inclusion in HIV prevention research vary greatly over time, place and thematic areas. Transgender women are the focus of the majority of reviewed studies, whereas transgender men and gender expansive people are rarely included as participants. Conclusions: Inclusion of transgender persons as participants in HIV prevention research has significantly increased, particularly in the last decade. Further research centred on transgender participants and their experiences are needed to develop effective HIV prevention interventions for transgender populations. We advocate for HIV prevention research to move from subsuming transgender people, to trans-centred research that asks questions that focus on their specific needs and experiences. We provide recommendations to move from trans-subsumed to trans-centred HIV prevention research.