The Safer Sex Communication of Transgender Adults: Processes and Problems

Abstract

As HIV continues to devastate marginalized communities, organizations have prioritized the development of evidence-based HIV prevention programs. Although the transgender community is disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, no effective HIV prevention interventions have been identified for this group. The few published interventions focus on communication skills and community-building efforts, necessitating greater understanding of the sexual communication experiences of a broad segment of the trans-community.To explore the transgender experience with safer sex communication, 41 transgender adults were interviewed. Participants described safer sex communication as a complicated endeavor, involving privacy management, uncertainty reduction, and discussion of various approaches to sexual safety. Understanding the process of (and associated problems with) safer sex communication for transgender adults suggests implications for theory, research, and practice.

Sexual Health of Trans Men Who Are Gay, Bisexual, or Who Have Sex with Men: Results from Ontario, Canada

“…These include fear of violence or rejection from potential sexual partners (Iantaffi & Bockting, 2011; Kosenko, 2011; Rowniak, Chesla, Rose, & Holzemer, 2012), low self-esteem (Adams et al, 2008; Clements, Wilkinson, Kitano, & Marx, 1999), transition-related sexual experimentation and exploration (Kosenko, 2008; Reisner et al, 2010), and desire for validation as gay/bisexual men (Adams et al, 2008; Reisner et al, 2010; Sevelius, 2009). Additionally, a lack of relevant sexual health information and unfamiliarity with gay community sociosexual norms, customs, and risks (Adams et al, 2008; Rowniak et al, 2012; Sevelius, 2009) may limit the ability of trans GB-MSM to avoid HIV or other STI.…”

Conceptions of privacy and the non-disclosure of same-sex behaviour by behaviourally-bisexual men in heterosexual relationships

“…Consistent with CPM theory, the desire for privacy has been documented as important to understanding the disclosure of sexual information within a variety of different contexts including serving as a barrier to safer sex communication (Kosenko 2011) and the disclosure of accurate sexual histories to a physician (Lewis, Matheson, and Brimacombe 2011) and to sexual partners (Nichols, 2012). Indeed, information about sexual behaviours has been found to be the most private kind of information and the least likely to be discussed with others, even with family and friends (Afifi and Caughlin 2006; Golish and Caughlin 2002).…”

A Community-Based Social Marketing Strategy to Prevent HIV and Fight Stigma

“…Social marketing emphasizes that effective program design begins with understanding the barriers people perceive when engaging in an activity (see, for example, Andreasen, 1995). Moreover, it underscores the importance of strategical delivering programs so that they target specific segments of the public and overcome the barriers to this segment's engaging in the behavior: in this sense, it is worth mentioning a recent study by Kosenko (2011) that highlights the main problems and challenges in addressing preventive measures to a specific target (in its case, the transgender community), among which there is the fear of disclosing the status itself of transgender: "Participants also reported weighing the risks and benefits of trans identity disclosures. This finding is consistent with the predictions of CPM (Petronio, 2002) and findings from other studies of stigmatized disclosures.…”

“…For example, Serovich's (2001) consequences theory suggests that HIV disclosure decision-making involves a similar cost-benefit analysis and, when the individual with HIV perceives that the positive consequences will outweigh the negatives, the disclosure is more likely to occur." (Kosenko, 2011).…”