Open AccessSheroes: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Community-Driven, Group-Level HIV Intervention Program for Transgender Women
Author(s) -
Jae Sevelius,
Torsten B. Neilands,
Samantha E. Dilworth,
Danielle Castro,
Mallory O. Johnson
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
aids and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.994
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1573-3254
pISSN - 1090-7165
DOI - 10.1007/s10461-019-02683-6
Subject(s) - health psychology , transgender women , empowerment , transgender , social support , intervention (counseling) , psychology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , clinical psychology , human sexuality , randomized controlled trial , peer support , public health , medicine , men who have sex with men , family medicine , social psychology , psychiatry , nursing , gender studies , surgery , syphilis , sociology , political science , psychoanalysis , law
Transgender women experience disproportionate risk of HIV acquisition and transmission. We piloted 'Sheroes', a peer-led group-level intervention for transgender women of any HIV status emphasizing empowerment and gender affirmation to reduce HIV risk behaviors and increase social support. Participants (N = 77) were randomized to Sheroes (n = 39) or a time- and attention-matched control (n = 38). Sheroes is 5 weekly group sessions; topics include sexuality, communication, gender transition, and coping skills. Control participants attended 5 weekly group movie sessions. At 6-month follow up, HIV-negative and unknown status Sheroes participants reported reductions in condomless intercourse and improved social support compared to control. Among participants living with HIV, both the control and intervention groups reduced their total number of sex partners; this change was sustained at 6-month follow-up for Sheroes participants but not for control participants relative to baseline. Sheroes was deemed highly feasible and acceptable to participants; findings support preliminary efficacy of Sheroes.