Grant: Doctoral Research Award: HIV/AIDS CBR Program - General Stream

The Trans PULSE project was developed in collaboration with trans people and addresses problems identified by Ontario trans communities, such as access to health and social services, and the social and political factors that affect health, and shape unique community vulnerability to HIV. As part of this project, information from 433 trans people across Ontario was collected in a survey that was designed to explore (among other things) health concerns, access barriers in health and social services, sexual health, HIV-related care, and HIV risk in a social determinants of health framework. Initial results show that trans people experience high rates of violence and trauma. With oversight from an Advisory Committee of Trans PULSE community investigators, select data will be analyzed to determine how these types of violence/trauma are related to the emotional well-being of trans people, their experiences of social exclusion and HIV risk, as well as to document disparities with non-trans people. This analysis will assist in developing a greater understanding of how different forms of harassment and violence affect trans people, so that we can begin to create prevention models for HIV and other health-related factors, that are firmly grounded in the social determinants of health, thereby contextualizing community and individual issues. Understanding how violence impacts the lives of Ontario trans people will also provide data for advocating for funding of services, and as evidence-based research for policy makers concerned with (for example) human rights legislation. With these data, community members will have the opportunity to participate in both traditional routes of dissemination, such as journal articles and conference presentations, as well as alternate modes of mobilizing knowledge, including e-bulletins, web-based initiatives, community-led forums and a future Trans PULSE Policy Institute.