Worldwide, approximately 19 percent of transgender women (TGW) are living with HIV, and compared to the general population, TGW are 49 times more likely to be infected with HIV. A 2015 study conducted in Ho Chi Minh City found that 18 percent of participating TGW had HIV and the same percentage were syphilis-antibody reactive. To address this, on Aug 20-24, USAID’s Healthy Markets project partnered with the Thai Red Cross Tangerine Community Health Centre to train private clinics and provincial AIDS committees in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to deliver quality health and HIV services for TGW, including hormone, sexual health and well-being services.

So What? If private clinics in the two largest urban centers in the country offer comprehensive health services for TGW, there is a high possibility of this approach being scaled up to address the barriers in public and private facilities that otherwise prevent access to HIV-related services, including HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapy.