Center of Excellence for Transgender Health, Division of Prevention Science, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.
J Correct Health Care. 2023 Feb;29(1):71-80. doi: 10.1089/jchc.21.12.0132. Epub 2023 Jan 2.
Incarceration is a significant public health issue that disproportionately impacts transgender (trans) women, particularly those of color. The cycle of incarceration interacts with high levels of substance use, mental illness, and HIV to produce a high disease burden among trans women, but, to date, there are no published studies of trans-specific reentry support interventions. Informed by the Model of Gender Affirmation, we systematically adapted and pilot tested the evidence-based Project START intervention to create Girlfriends Connect (GC), a reentry support intervention for trans women incarcerated in a county jail. Qualitative interviews with trans women (10 prerelease and 6 postrelease) and community social service providers and jail staff ( = 7) who serve justice-involved transgender women, as well as input from a community advisory board, informed our adaptation. We then conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial ( = 14) and a service implementation project ( = 16) of GC to examine its feasibility and acceptability. Lessons learned include the importance of peer facilitators, facilitated referral to gender-affirming community resources, and obtaining programmatic buy-in from jail staff and administration. Results indicate that GC is feasible and acceptable, and holds promise in improving the health of transgender women reentering the community after a period of incarceration.
监禁是一个严重的公共卫生问题，对跨性别（跨性别）妇女的影响尤其大，尤其是那些有色人种的跨性别妇女。监禁的循环与高水平的药物使用、精神疾病和 HIV 相互作用，导致跨性别妇女的疾病负担很高，但迄今为止，还没有关于跨性别特定再融入支持干预的已发表研究。我们以性别肯定模型为指导，系统地改编并试点测试了基于证据的 START 干预措施，以创建 Girlfriends Connect (GC)，这是一个针对在县监狱中被监禁的跨性别妇女的再融入支持干预措施。与正义相关的跨性别女性的跨性别女性（10 名预释放和 6 名释放后）和社区社会服务提供者以及监狱工作人员（ = 7）的定性访谈，以及社区咨询委员会的意见，为我们的改编提供了信息。然后，我们对 GC 进行了一项试点随机对照试验（ = 14）和一项服务实施项目（ = 16），以检验其可行性和可接受性。经验教训包括同伴促进者的重要性、促进向性别肯定的社区资源转介，以及获得监狱工作人员和管理层对项目的认可。结果表明，GC 是可行和可接受的，并有望改善在监禁后重新进入社区的跨性别妇女的健康状况。
