Gogia Maka, Kuniholm Mark H, Smyrnov Pavlo, DeHovitz Jack, Zurashvili Tamar, Djibuti Mamuka
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Partnership for Research and Action for Health, Tbilisi, Georgia.
PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025 Jul 22;5(7):e0004956. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0004956. eCollection 2025.
We assessed factors associated with HIV infection as well as the utilization of HIV testing among transgender people (TGs) in the country of Georgia. From July 2020 to January 2021, TG participants were recruited using snowball sampling in three major Georgian cities: Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi. The participants underwent structured face‒to-face interviews and rapid tests for HIV. The study employed descriptive analyses, and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression to explore factors associated with HIV infection and HIV testing history. Of the 95 participants, 49.5% identified as transgender women, 7.3% as transgender men, and 43.2% as non-binary individuals, with a mean age of 27.24 years (SD = 8.52). Overall, HIV prevalence was 24.1%, with transgender women experiencing the highest burden (40.5%). HIV prevalence was higher among transgender women (40.5%) and those involved into commercial sex work (41.7%), however, none of the predictor variables reached the level of significance in adjusted model. HIV testing in the past six months were reported by 76.8% of participants and predictors for testing were living alone (aOR=5.9, 95% CI: 1.06-32.69) and experiences of enacted stigma (aOR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.04-2.97). Conclusion: Our study reveals a high HIV burden among transgender individuals in Georgia, particularly transgender women. This is combined with significant gaps in the utilization of HIV prevention services. Further research is needed to explore the intersection of stigma and other barriers affecting a low uptake of HIV testing to inform the development of effective targeted interventions.
我们评估了格鲁吉亚共和国与艾滋病毒感染相关的因素,以及该国跨性别者(TGs)的艾滋病毒检测利用情况。2020年7月至2021年1月,在格鲁吉亚的三个主要城市第比利斯、巴统和库塔伊西,采用雪球抽样法招募了TG参与者。参与者接受了结构化面对面访谈和艾滋病毒快速检测。该研究采用描述性分析、双变量和多变量逻辑回归来探索与艾滋病毒感染和艾滋病毒检测史相关的因素。在95名参与者中,49.5%为跨性别女性,7.3%为跨性别男性,43.2%为非二元性别个体,平均年龄为27.24岁(标准差=8.52)。总体而言,艾滋病毒感染率为24.1%,其中跨性别女性负担最重(40.5%)。跨性别女性(40.5%)和从事商业性工作者(41.7%)中的艾滋病毒感染率较高,然而,在调整模型中,没有一个预测变量达到显著水平。76.8%的参与者报告在过去六个月内进行过艾滋病毒检测,检测的预测因素是独居(调整后比值比=5.9,95%置信区间:1.06-32.69)和遭受污名化经历(调整后比值比=1.76,95%置信区间:1.04-2.97)。结论:我们的研究揭示了格鲁吉亚跨性别者,尤其是跨性别女性中艾滋病毒负担较重。这与艾滋病毒预防服务利用方面的显著差距并存。需要进一步研究,以探索污名化与影响艾滋病毒检测接受率较低的其他障碍之间的交叉点,为制定有效的针对性干预措施提供依据。
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