289756
Housing as a structural intervention for transgender and gender non-conforming PLWHA: Promoting positive health behaviors
Monday, November 4, 2013
: 4:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Megan Stanton, MSW,
School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Toorjo Ghose, PhD,
School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Samira Ali, LMSW,
School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Significance: Due to a complex risk environment, transgender people (TG) have high rates of both homelessness and HIV infection (Operario & Nemoto, 2010). Previous research has examined reasons for high rates of homelessness (Mottet & Ohle, 2003) and HIV (Garafolo et al., 2006) in transgender populations, however, no study to the author's knowledge has examined housing as a structural intervention for transgender people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) or the mechanisms through which stable housing influences risk behaviors and health choices. Methods: 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted with residents in a low-threshold, use-tolerant, scatter-site transitional housing program that is specifically tailored to support previously homeless or unstably housed TG and gender non-conforming (GNC) PLWHA. Participants were asked about their housing and HIV health experiences. Thematic analysis was employed. Results: Housing's effect on health behaviors is mediated by positive material and subjective changes (Fishbein & Azjen, 1975) in the lives of TG and GNC PLWHA. Housing's materiality effect is produced by: a) Reducing exposure to risk environment b) Reducing chaos in living situation c) Access to trans-competent services. Subjective changes were realized through the development of a supportive TG and GNC community which fostered positive health choices by a) changing attitudes about HIV health among program participants b) establishing health-seeking collective norms, and c) improving health related self-efficacy. Conclusions: Housing specifically tailored to the needs of people of TG and GNC experience should be conceptualized as an effective treatment for homeless transgender people living with HIV/AIDS.
Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the effects of housing as a structural intervention on the health behaviors of transgender and gender non-conforming PLWHA. Describe the low-threshold, use-tolerant, scatter-site transitional housing program model for TG and GNC PLWHA. Identify the material and subjective pathways which mediate the relationship between housing and health behavior.
Keyword(s): Housing, HIV/AIDS
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a trained social worker with four years of direct practice experience working with vulnerable populations. I serve as a research coordinator for a series of funded research projects examining housing as a structural intervention for people living with HIV/AIDS. I am currently a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania doctoral program in social welfare.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
