Transgender
HIV/AIDS Prevalence among transgender persons
Historically, current gender identity was not regularly collected as part of HIV Surveillance. In
2014, current gender identity was added to the HIV case report form, which is how data on cases
are reported to MDH. However, it is known that gender identity is not routinely collected in all
health care settings and is likely under reported to the Minnesota Department of Health. In 2014,
there were 60 transgender clients receiving Ryan White services. This is more than the number
of transgender individuals that are in the MDH HIV surveillance system, eHARS. Therefore, the
data reported here can be considered an underestimation and serve as a minimum estimate for
HIV among transgender people in Minnesota. As of December 31st 2014, there were 41
transgender persons living with HIV in Minnesota according to eHARS. The data presented here
reflect data from HIV surveillance which is also reported to CDC.
Race/Ethnicity
Transgender people of
Transgender persons living with HIV by Race,
color account for a
Minnesota, 2014
disproportionate
n=41
number of transgender
African-born
10%
Hispanic
people living with HIV in
Multiple
20%
2%
Minnesota.
White
people account for just
27% of transgender
American Indian
2%
people living with HIV,
while people of color
Asian/PI
5%
White
account for 73% of
27%
transgender
people
living with HIV whereas
only 17% of the general
population in Minnesota
African American
34%
are people of color.
Additionally,
transgender
people
living with HIV are more racially diverse than the population living with HIV in Minnesota as a
whole as 56% of all people living with HIV in Minnesota are people of color.
Minnesota HIV/AIDS Epidemiologic Profile—Transgender
December 2015
Mode of Exposure
The majority (88%) of
transgender people living
with HIV in Minnesota have
an estimated mode of
exposure of sexual contact.
The joint risk of sexual
transmission
and
IDU
accounts for 10% of the
cases.
HIV transmission category among Transgender
persons living with HIV, Minnesota, 2014
n=41
Sexual
Transmission/IDU
10%
n = Number of persons
IDU = Injecting drug use
Unspecified
2%
Sexual
Transmission
88%
HIV Diagnoses among transgender persons
Between 2010 and 2014, there have been two transgender persons diagnosed with HIV each
year, for a total of 10 diagnoses during this five-year time period. During this time, the racial
distribution of diagnoses among transgender persons was 30% Hispanic, 30% African American,
30% White and 10% African-born. Over the past five years, half of the HIV cases diagnosed
among transgender persons were over the age of 35. The remaining 50% were between the
ages of 20 and 34 years old.
Minnesota HIV/AIDS Epidemiologic Profile—Transgender
December 2015