The U.S. government spent $199,942 this fiscal year on a project to provide condoms, HIV tests and “use of safe transition-related healthcare services among Latina transgender women who have sex with men.”
“The United States has a large and rapidly growing Latino population,” the project overview states. “At the same time, Latinos and transgender persons in the US carry disproportionate HIV burden. Currently, no efficacious HIV prevention interventions exist for transgender persons who have sex with men.”
The project will enroll around 100 Latina transgenders in a program called Chicas Creando Acceso a la Salud (ChiCAS), which translates to Girls Creating Access to Health. (RELATED: Govt To Spend $50 Million On Condoms For Black, Latino ‘Men Who Have Sex With Men)
The organizers expect to see “increased self-reported use of condoms during sexual intercourse; (b) increased HIV testing; (c) increased use of PrEP; and (d) increased use of safe transition-related healthcare services (including medical care and mental health services).”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is funding the project, which started Sept. 30.
This is not the only government-funded project focusing on transgender minorities. The CDC announced a series of grants this year — $10 million per year for five years — aimed at raising awareness of HIV risks, offering prevention strategies and providing free condoms to black and Hispanic gay and transgender men, according an announcement posted on the federal site grants.gov.
“Condom use is one of the most effective methods to reduce risk of HIV infection during sexual activity,” the CDC said in a 2015 report. “Correct and consistent use of male condoms is estimated to reduce the risk of HIV transmission by 70-80 percent.”
The CDC spends around $787 million each year on HIV/AIDS prevention and research, according to the federal site, AIDS.gov. In total, the federal government has requested $34 billion in funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and research in the 2017 budget.
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