Transgender People and HIV in California 2020

November 18, 2022

Infographic from data from the HIV Surveillance Report 2020. The Continuum of HIV Care reports from 2016 to 2020, and the HIV and Transgender People Fact Sheet 2020 published by the California Department of Public Health.

Authors

Southern California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Center

Transgender People Living with Diagnosed HIV,

2016-2020

In California, the number of people living with diagnosed HIV rose from 2016 to 2020 and the prevalence rate of diagnosed HIV increased over the same period. In 2020, transgender people comprised 1.6% of people living with diagnosed HIV in the state.

Transgender People Newley Diagnosed with HIV,

2016-2020

From 2016 to 2020, the rate of new diagnoses in the state fell from 13.1 per 100,000 population to 9.9. Of those newly diagnosed with HIV in 2020, about 3% identified as transgender.

Transgender People Living with Diagnosed HIV by Race/Ethnicity, 2020

As of 2020, about 3 out of 4 (76%) transgender people living with diagnosed HIV in California identify as Black or Latinx.

Transgender People Newly Diagnosed with HIV by Race/Ethnicity, 2020

Among transgender people newly diagnosed in 2020, at least 4 out of 5 (84%) identify as Black or Latinx. The latter comprised more than half of all new HIV diagnoses among transgender people that year.

Care Continuum for Trans Women Living with Diagnosed HIV, 2016-2020

Care Continuum for Trans Men Living with Diagnosed HIV, 2016-2020

Between 2019 and 2020, the proportion of transgender people living with diagnosed HIV in California saw changes to three HIV outcome measures — linkage to HIV care, retention in HIV care, and achievement of viral suppression.

Between 2019 and 2020, the HIV Care Continuum indicates that the largest drop was retention in HIV care, falling 8% for trans women and 16% for trans men. Viral suppression also declined, falling 3% for trans women and 6% for trans men.

Care Continuum for Transgender People Newly Diagnosed with HIV, 2020

In 2020, when compared to newly diagnosed transgender people overall as well as Latinx people, far smaller proportions of newly diagnosed Black transgender people were linked to HIV care in one month, retained in HIV care, and achieved viral suppression in six months.

Sources

Data are from the HIV Surveillance Report 2020, the Continuum of HIV Care reports from 2016 to 2020, and the HIV and Transgender People Fact Sheet 2020 published by the California Department of Public Health.