Representation and social vulnerability to HIV in transgender people.

OBJECTIVES

to analyze the social representations of HIV vulnerability in transgender women.

METHODS

this qualitative study was based on the Theory of Social Representations, using the structural approach. The research was conducted in a hospital specializing in gender-affirming surgeries, involving 100 self-declared transgender women. The Free Word Association technique was applied using the inducing term "HIV exposure in transgender women" to obtain representational content. Data analysis was performed using the four-quadrant technique, facilitated by the Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires software, version 0.7 alpha 2.

RESULTS

the possible central nucleus identified included the terms "prevention, prostitution as a profession, prejudice, and risky behavior". Social and individual issues were highlighted as important elements in the vulnerability process.

CONCLUSIONS

the social representations of HIV vulnerability in transgender women are grounded in structural factors that lead to inequality, exclusion, prejudice, and discrimination.