Trans women experience disproportionate risk of HIV infection. The study performed a qualitative analysis of HIV risk in Mexican trans women from the perspective of gender as social structure. The qualitative study was performed in Northeast Mexico. Fifteen interviews were performed with trans women 22 to 69 years of age, followed by thematic analysis. The analysis revealed three thematic categories: social constructs of HIV and stigma, gender and HIV in interpersonal relations, and gender and HIV in institutions and policy. The results show that social constructs of HIV are produced collectively based on interaction with other trans women. HIV is a phenomenon traversed by sociohistorical temporality, generating risk perceptions. Gender as a structure of oppression is linked to experiences of stigma and discrimination and the search for gender legitimization through relations with sex partners. Institutions and public policy relate to access to health services, and institutional, personal, and collective barriers are identified and analyzed based on gender identity. The policy sustains and reinforces the marginalization of trans women, impacting HIV risk. HIV risk is a multicausal phenomenon based on gender as a structure of oppression with systemic implications.
Keywords:
Gender Identity; Transgender Persons; HIV