Transgender identity and HIV: resilience in the face of stigma.

FOCUS 1 Transgender people—people whose gender identity or expression differs from their birth sex—have existed throughout history and across cultures. In modern times, however, this natural gender diversity has been reduced to the binary classifications of men (who should be masculine) and women (who should be feminine). While everyone suffers when gender is reduced to only two confining categories, transgender people experience multiple forms of oppression for transgressing gender norms. This article explores key aspects of this oppression—including invisibility, economic hardship, stigma, and isolation—that make transgender people especially vulnerable to HIV infection and transmission. It also explores the need for HIV prevention and service efforts that address transgender people’s HIV risks in the context of their overall health and lives.