Sexual Health Empowerment For Trans People Highlighted in New Videos
Sexual options for trans people
Outshine NW and Project Inform announce the launch of two new videos promoting personal empowerment in sexual health decisions among transgender women and transgender men who have sex with men (TMSM).
Each video depicts a transgender person navigating the uncertainties of a first date in different ways and with different outcomes. Both were written, directed, facilitated, and performed by a diverse arrangement of transgender community members.
One video depicts a man hooking up with a guy he met on Grindr, when transphobia turns the encounter sideways and he is confronted with an uncomfortable decision between his self-worth and his health. The two-minute story suggests a variety of options available to transmasculine people for HIV prevention including PrEP, condoms, self-confidence, and community.
To view the video, click here: https://vimeo.com/166430683.
A second video depicts a day in the life of a woman going out on a date with her new beau and spending the night together for the first time. Returning home late the next morning, she is met by an inquisitive housemate whose questions about her experience appear rooted in equal parts concern and excitement.
To view the video, click here: https://vimeo.com/166433365.
These videos build on the momentum of two PrEP educational booklets published by Project Inform and Outshine NW earlier this year, Is Taking PrEP the Right Choice for You for men who have sex with men (trans-inclusive), and Transcending Barriers for Safer Pleasure for transgender women.
Though not uniformly collected throughout the US, current data show high rates of HIV infection among transgender women, while other data point to a high proportion of transgender women who continue to be unaware of their current status. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a meta-analysis of 29 published studies show that 27.7% of transgender women tested positive for HIV infection. One study found that 73% of those who tested positive did not know their status. Further, higher percentages of infection occur among transgender women of color.
Faced with injustice affecting housing stability, employment and healthcare access, transgender people are more likely to be put in situations that substantially increase risk for contracting HIV, while also having fewer resources for testing or treatment available. Both new videos aim to uplift and empower transgender people to make informed, proactive and healthy decisions.
PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, is an HIV prevention strategy that allows HIV-negative people to take a once-daily pill to prevent HIV. It has been proven highly effective in a broad range of people, is safe to take in combination with hormones, and is recommended for anyone at risk of contracting HIV.
Executive Director of Outshine NW, Brandyn Gallagher stated, "We are thrilled to be working with Project Inform to develop these new safer sex messages. Transgender people have long awaited sexual health outreach depicting us as the humans we really are, with the nuanced relationships we really have, rooted in how we see ourselves rather than how cisgender people see us. As we defend ourselves daily against escalating political, emotional, and physical attacks on our humanity, I believe that elevating visibility of our strength, resiliency, and love for ourselves and others is simply critical for effective sexual health education.
Project Inform's Director of Education Alan McCord stated, By providing these new PSAs, Project Inform hopes to help begin filling the noticeable gap in PrEP education by and for the transgender community. We want to raise online awareness of these resources and have been providing PrEP materials to the community and service providers since FDA approval in 2012. It's been both a pleasure and a privilege to work alongside Outshine NW to produce these videos."
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Outshine NW is a small non-profit organization based in Seattle, WA that serves communities by promoting LGBTQ health and equity through education and advocacy. Outshine NW actively engages medical professionals, social service providers, and community members from all walks of life to bridge communication divides and heal communities.
Project Inform fights the HIV and hepatitis C epidemics by assuring the development of effective treatments and a cure; supporting individuals to make informed choices about their health; advocating for quality, affordable health care; and promoting medical strategies that prevent new infections.
Contacts:
Christie Sowers [she, her]
Director of Communications & Development
Email:
Director of Education Email:
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Alan McCord | Director of Education | he, him, his 415.580.7307 | www.projectinform.org 877-HELP-4-HEP (877-435-7443, hepatitis C helpline, www.help4hep.org)